Cooking On Pennies VIII: 3 Italian/Sicilian Dishes From 'Gennaro's Cucina' 🌞

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Last edited Thu Oct 9, 2025, 09:12 AM - Edit history (1)

PANELLE
Sicilian chickpea fritters

Made with only a handful of ingredients, Panelle originated from Sicilian
cucina povera, and the chickpea flour is almost certainly a legacy from the
Arab invasions of the island. Over time, these delicious chickpea fritters
have become a popular street food, especially in the city of Palermo where
Panellari can be spotted frying them on most street corners. Typically
served in a bread roll, they make a very nutritious snack, but you can also
make them in different shapes and enjoy them as little antipasti with
drinks or in place of potato chips.

Makes approx. 8 squares

250g (9oz) chickpea flour
10g (¼oz) salt
approx. 650ml (22fl oz) water
2 tsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
abundant vegetable oil, for greasing and frying

To serve

lemon wedges
crusty bread rolls

Combine the chickpea flour and salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the
water, making sure you get rid of all the lumps. Place the saucepan over a
medium heat and keep whisking until you obtain a smooth and thick
consistency – when ready, after about 3 minutes, the mixture will pull
away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from the heat, stir in the chopped parsley and then pour the
mixture over a lightly oiled flat tray or baking tray, spreading it evenly with
the help of a spatula, or cover it with clingfilm, pressing down well over
the mixture so it spreads evenly. Leave to cool completely.

When cool, cut the mixture into about eight squares. Heat plenty of
vegetable oil in a deep frying pan over a high heat. When hot, deep-fry the
Panelle for about 2–3 minutes until golden. Remove and drain on kitchen
paper to absorb the excess oil.

These are delicious served immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice in
crusty rolls.

From "Gennaro's Cucina"
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/67353150-gennaro-s-cucina

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ACQUASALE
Fresella bread salad

This is similar to the Tuscan Panzanella salad, which uses stale bread. This
recipe, originating from rural Puglia, uses Fresella, a double-baked bread,
which can be found in Italian delis and is a really handy storecupboard
ingredient, should you run out of bread. Obviously, Fresella was once
made at home by placing slices of stale bread in a low oven and baking it
until crispy – I still do this today when I have lots of bread. The Fresella
keeps in an airtight container and is ideal to use in bread salads like this
one, or in soups, or simply to enjoy as a snack with a drizzle of olive oil. To
refresh the Fresella, simply sprinkle with a little water to soften it.
I have given you the traditional Puglian version of this recipe, using the
summer vegetables that farmers grew or could be obtained easily.
However you can, of course, enrich it with peppers, olives, capers, pickles,
cooked beans and canned tuna.

Serves 4

1 small red onion, finely sliced
red wine vinegar, to taste
4 slices of Fresella
approx. 100ml (3½fl oz) water
200g (7oz) baby plum tomatoes, halved
1 celery stick, including leaves, finely sliced
½ cucumber, sliced
1 tsp dried oregano
40ml (1½fl oz) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
sea salt

Place the red onion in a small bowl and cover with red wine vinegar. Set
aside for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the Fresella slices on a plate and drizzle the water over
them, then leave to soften, about 30 minutes. Once softened, break the
Fresella up into chunks.

Drain the onion (keep the vinegar for another dish) and place in a bowl
with the tomatoes, celery and cucumber. Sprinkle with the oregano and a
little salt, then add the olive oil and mix well together. Add the Fresella
chunks, mix well and then leave to rest at room temperature for about 1
hour before serving with a drizzle of olive oil.

From "Gennaro's Cucina"
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/67353150-gennaro-s-cucina


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TORTA SALATA PUGLIESE
Onion and olive pie

A Torta Salata is an Italian savoury pie and there are many types with
various fillings. This rustic Puglian-style pie is made with lots of onions,
olives and local Caciocavallo cheese. As this cheese is difficult to obtain
outside of the region, I have used a mix of Scamorza and Parmesan. It is
delicious eaten warm or cold, and excellent for packed lunches and
picnics.

Serves 6

For the dough

500g (1lb 2oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 x 7g (1/4 oz) sachet of fast-action dried yeast
1 tsp sea salt
50ml (2fl oz) white ESE
approx. 200ml (7fl oz) lukewarm water

For the filling

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
750g (1lb 10oz) onions, finely sliced
4 anchovy fillets, canned and left whole
120g (4¼oz) pitted black olives
15g (½oz) capers
70g (2½oz) Scamorza cheese, finely chopped
30g (1oz) grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl, add the wine and olive
oil, then stir in enough lukewarm water to make a dough. Knead on a
lightly floured work surface for a couple of minutes, then place in an oiled
bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest in a warm place for about
1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Now make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a
medium heat, add the onions and stir in the anchovy fillets until they
dissolve. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes until the onions have
softened – if they exude a lot of liquid, increase the heat to evaporate the
liquid off. Stir in the olives and capers and continue to cook over a gentle
heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add a little
salt, if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C/gas mark 7. (400° F) Lightly grease a 26cm
(10½in.) loose-bottomed round cake tin with olive oil.

Split the dough into two pieces, making one slightly larger. Roll out each
piece into a round shape on a lightly floured surface. Take the larger round
of dough and line the base and sides of the prepared cake tin with it. Fill
with the onion filling, then sprinkle with the cheeses and a little black
pepper. Place the other round of dough over the top and carefully crimp
around the edges.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until risen and golden brown. Remove
from the oven, leave to cool slightly, then remove from the tin, slice and
serve.

From "Gennaro's Cucina"
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/67353150-gennaro-s-cucina

Thanks Gennaro! They look and sound delicious.

[Timeflyer]

1. Yum!

[justaprogressive]

2. exactly!