What’s farinata, you say? Farinata is a chickpea-flour flatbread, a street food and bakery specialty from Liguria, Italy. Just a handful of basic ingredients, chickpea flour, olive oil, salt and pepper come together into a delightful crispy-but-soft-inside pancake. While I’ve recently read many traveler’s accounts of tasting this amazing regional specialty in Italy, and then creating it back home…I learned about in a much less romantic way. Via someone else’s cooking blog. A big thanks to Kalyn’s Kitchen for the inspiration.
Hopefully one day I’ll get to Italy to compare my version to the authentic farinata of Liguria, but for now I’m enjoying it immensely, despite never having experienced the original.
After seeing farinata on Kalyn’s blog, I read many different recipes online, and discovered that the process is remarkably simple. Probably the only challenge would be locating chickpea flour. You can find it at middle eastern or international grocery stores, or buy online. (For those of you in my neck of the woods, I go to The Phoenician on Georges Rd in North Brunswick.) Other than that, you need a pan (cast iron is best but others will work), a superhot oven, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
The batter is made by mixing the flour with a little salt and water, then letting it rest. (I don’t know the reason behind the resting, but I give it 2-3 hours. I’ve read everything from 90 minutes to overnight, depending on the source.) The other key is to preheat the skillet or pan so it’s very hot when the batter goes in. The only cast iron pan I own is a scone pan, which actually worked out well to make little triangles. I made a small batch at first just in case I wasn’t crazy about it, but now I make small batches because they are best when fresh out of the oven, crispy and hot. It’s an excellent accompaniment to soup or stews, or all by itself as a savory snack. I’ve also seen some great ideas like this one for topping farinata with vegetables and cheese like a thin pizza.
Rosemary Farinata
1/2 cup chickpea flour
5 ounces water
1 Tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1/2 tsp salt, black pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary
Place the chickpea flour and salt in a medium bowl, and stir in water until batter is smooth. (A whisk makes this easier). Let the mixture rest for 2-3 hours. About 15 minutes before baking, place a cast iron pan (or other baking pan) in the oven and preheat to 475 degrees. Add dried rosemary to the batter, and stir in 1/2 T olive oil. When the oven and pan are hot, take the pan out and swirl the other 1/2 T oil in the bottom to coat. Pour in the batter, and return to oven. Depending on the size of your pan and thickness of the batter, it will take 15-25 minutes to be done. Just check it, and remove when it’s brown and crisp around the edges. Give a hearty sprinkle of black pepper on top before serving.
Nutrition Facts: per 2 wedges, 1/4 recipe: 74 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated), 7 grams carbohydrate (1 g fiber), 3 grams protein
Related posts:
I want a pan like this to make farinata!!
I just made this. I used a glass pan. I don’t have cast iron. Glass worked just fine. I used sage instead of Rosemary. I don’t like Rosemary. I think it is good!