Ingredients

120 g chickpea flour
360 g water
3 g rosemary
3 g salt
50 ml olive oil

Directions

This recipe’s quantities are calculated for a pan with an inner diameter of approximately 21-22 cm. A thin (2mm) carbon steel paella pan works great, as the low edges of the pan make it easy to cut and serve. Carbon steel does a good job of retaining the pan’s heat while the batter is poured in. Note that the thickness of the Farinata is crucial for the recipe. For different size pans, adjust the recipe accordingly.

Mix chickpea flour with water, rosemary, salt and let soak for at least 4 hours, ideally 8. There is no problem with soaking for too long, so you can leave this overnight.

The recipe works well when baked at 270°C. However, many ovens have a maximum of 250°C; this will require longer cooking times but can still give a nice result. Ovens with lower temperatures will give poor results.

Wipe the pan with kitchen towel lightly soaked in olive oil, then preheat oven to 270°C with the pan inside. The baked oil will help prevent the batter sticking later.

When the oven is heated, wait an additional 10-15 minutes for the pan to also heat up. Next, remove the pan from the oven and add in all of the olive oil. Put the pan back in the oven for 1 minute, allowing the oil to heat. When the oil is at temperature, there should be considerable smoking—extra virgin olive oil tends to start smoking at 190°C. Take the pan out again and gently pour in the batter. Pour the batter onto a spoon held just above the oil so the batter does not touch the bottom of the pan too forcefully; this can cause sticking. With the back of a spoon, gentry swirl the surface of the batter so the olive oil is roughly streaked with the batter. Large patches of batter with no oil will burn easily. Now place the pan back in the oven.

When the top of the Farinata starts to be become golden (10-15 minutes), remove from the oven. Often, steam will cause the center of the farinata to “bubble” and rise. This is fine; as the moisture evaporates during baking, these raised sections will collapse again.

When done, let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cooling allows the Farinata to firm-up, giving a better internal texture and making it easier to serve. However, if you wait too long the outer crust will lose it’s crispness. After 10 minutes, it’s best to serve immediately.

The key to the recipe is the fast cooking over high heat. The result should be a thin cake where the outside is crispy and the inside is soft but firm. I prefer to serve this with thinly sliced tomatoes on top and some salt and pepper. To avoid smoking, refined olive oil can be used.