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Sicilian Cooking

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Fried Bread

( Pane Fritto - Pani Frittu)

In the western part of Sicily, the leftover bread is mostly transformed into grated bread and used for stuffing, as a filler to increase the volume of chopped meat or to replace cheese in many pasta dishes. In the eastern part of Sicily, leftover bread is manipulated into a dignified sort of bruschetta fried not baked, covered with a delicate olive paste or by a thin layer of a mixture of eggs, cheese and olive paste. In Syracuse,  pane fritto is a popular snack and a well-accepted antipasto, made more interesting when covered with a variety of spreads. 

    Ingredients

    For the Fried Bread

    • loaf of Italian bread, sliced into ½ inch pieces (or use leftover stale sliced bread and if it is too hard soften by drizzling with a little water)
    • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
    • 3 large eggs
    • 3 teaspoons grated pecorino cheese
    • Salt and pepper
    • 2 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese to garnish

    For the Olive Paste

    • 24 black pitted olives
    • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • Pinch of oregano
    • Salt and pepper

    Instructions

    1

    To Make Fried Bread : In a large skillet over a medium heat, warm the oil to 350 degrees or before the smoke point, which is at 375 degrees. Fry the sliced bread until light golden, a few at a time without crowding them; rest on paper towels to remove the excess oil. Garnish with pecorino cheese and serve hot. I like it sprinkled with granulated sugar instead of cheese for a sweet afternoon snack, the merenda.

    2

    To Make Fried Bread with Olive Spread: Make a paste by combining 12 pitted black olives, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of oregano, salt and pepper and pread the paste on each slice of the fried bread

    3

    To Make a Special Fried Bread : Place the eggs and a pinch of salt in a wide bowl and beat until smooth. Mix in 3 teaspoons of cheese and pepper to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil to 350 degrees or before the smoke point, which is at 375 degrees. Place each slice of bread into the egg mixture, one at a time and then drain and transfer to the hot oil. Fry until light golden, a few at a time without crowding them; rest on paper towels to remove the excess oil. Garnish by sprinkling the pane fritto with pecorino cheese and serve hot.