Farinata

A chickpea batter rested for hours and baked in a fierce oven in a pan of hot oil.

Vegan.

Ingredients

• 300 g chickpea flour
• 900 ml water
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a sprig of rosemary, leaves only
• black pepper

Method

1. Whisk the chickpea flour into the water slowly, working out every lump. It will be very thin, like single cream.
2. REST IT FOUR HOURS AT LEAST, or overnight. Two things happen: the flour hydrates fully, and a grey foam rises to the top which must be skimmed off. Unskimmed it tastes bitter, and that foam is why nobody can make a decent farinata in half an hour.
3. Skim it thoroughly, then stir in the salt and half the oil.
4. Heat the oven as hot as it will go, 250C or more, with a heavy shallow pan inside.
5. Pour the rest of the oil into the hot pan, swirl it, and pour the batter in to about 5 mm deep. It should sizzle.
6. Scatter the rosemary over and bake 15 to 20 minutes until set, browned in patches and coming away at the edges.
7. Grind pepper over and cut it into wedges. It is eaten hot and does not keep.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Italy · All recipes