Ciciotta is a food from the poor tradition, similar to the more known Polenta. As its name suggests, it is made from chickpea flour (Ceci/Cici) and water. At one time, it was a very simple preparation with just the two ingredients, but today, when it is made again, it is enriched with ingredients such as sausage, lard or bacon.
This is an old recipe from a Nonna from Naro, Sicily, so apologies if the measurements are not precise!
Ciciotta Naritana – Sicilian Polenta from Naro
Course: MainDifficulty: MediumIngredients
Water 3 litres
Salt
Broccoletti
Wild fennel
Chickpeas flour
EVO
Directions
- Boil about 3 litres of boiling, salted water with broccoletti and wild fennel in it.
- In the same saucepan, gradually pour semolina or chickpea flour (or mixed) by sprinkling, one handful at a time, slowly and stirring immediately to prevent lumps from forming.
- Allow to cook, stirring continuously, for about ten minutes until the desired density is reached.
- At the end of the cooking time, serve the ciciotta very hot on a large container, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top.
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