Farinata
A golden masterpiece of Italian street food. A thin, savory chickpea pancake that is beautifully crisp around the edges, delightfully tender in the center, and heavily seasoned with cracked black pepper.
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35 min
Easy
Italiana (Liguria)
4 servings
The story behind
You cannot imagine how incredible this simple dish tastes! I distinctly remember walking down the narrow, cobblestone streets of Genoa late in the afternoon, feeling a gorgeous sea breeze. Suddenly, this amazing scent of toasted wood and rich olive oil guided me straight to a traditional local 'sciamadda'. Right there, I watched them pull this massive copper disk out of a wood-fired oven. They served me a steaming slice wrapped in rustic paper, and it was love at first bite. It is the absolute ultimate late-afternoon snack or a unique appetizer before dinner. It pairs beautifully with a side of creamy gorgonzola cheese and a glass of ice-cold dry white wine, like a regional Vermentino.
Instructions
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1In a large mixing bowl, add the chickpea flour and gradually pour in the water while whisking constantly with a wire whisk to ensure no lumps form.
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2Whisk in the fine salt and two tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil into the liquid batter.
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3Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit at room temperature to rest for at least 4 hours (leaving it overnight works even better).
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4After the batter has rested, use a spoon to carefully skim off any foam that has accumulated on the surface.
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5Preheat your oven to its absolute maximum temperature setting (around 250°C or higher). If using a large cast-iron skillet or pizza stone, place it inside to heat up.
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6Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, pour the remaining olive oil to heavily coat the entire bottom and sides, then pour in the chickpea batter. It should form a thin layer, less than a centimeter thick.
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7Sprinkle the chopped fresh rosemary on top if using, and bake at very high heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges pull away and the top is deeply golden with dark brown spots.
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8Remove from the oven, immediately sprinkle a very generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper over the top, slice into rustic wedges, and serve hot.
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