Frittula Palermitana

"There is some street food that you simply cannot avoid."
- Fabrizia Lanza

Frittula Palermitana, translated from an Italian website

It happens often, walking through the historic center of Palermo, especially in the heart of the ancient markets of the Cape, Vucciria and Ballarò to run into crowds of people clamoring around a basket covered with rags. Someone pulls out something with their bare hands resting on the wax paper and hands it to you. You begin chewing happily and you've come across a frittole seller.

Strictly taken by hand, that a minute ago, have received the money last customer, sold and consumed on the street, at affordable prices for everyone, frittole is derived from processing of the bones and scraps of butchers.

These, made ​​for a long time to cook in large boilers, they detach the meat from the bones remaining the soften calluses. In fact, Frittoli consists mainly of small pieces of meat, cartilage, and parts which are then fried calloused with lard ("saime") and seasoned with fragrant spices: bay leaf, saffron, and pepper.

It is kept in a wicker basket, well covered because it keeps warm, and sold then consumed on the street with a lot of lemon to make it less fatty either in a sandwich or by itself eaten strictly with your fingers.

The Frittoli are one of the oldest and most characteristic dishes of Palermo, his birth dates back to around 500. It is a dish that you can easily prepare at home. For a non Palermitano, it may seem barbaric, but I assure you, not caring much about hygiene, you'll be fascinated by just tasting it.