Farinata Wedges Recipes

HOW TO MAKE FARINATA

Steps:

• Combine garbanzo flour and water in a bowl; whisk until batter is smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Skim as much foam as possible from top of batter. Whisk salt, rosemary, and 3 tablespoons olive oil into batter.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat and heat until smoking hot. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet and swirl to coat bottom of skillet with oil. Continue to heat until oil shimmers and a wisp of smoke rises from oil.
• Quickly pour batter into hot oil; carefully transfer skillet to preheated oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is browned and crusty, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer immediately to a plate, cut into wedges, and serve hot. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.

SOCCA (FARINATA)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450. Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. (If you have a socca pan, obviously that will work well also.)
• Put the chickpea flour in a bowl; add the salt and pepper. Slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and let sit while the oven heats, or for as long as 12 hours. The batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.
• Remove the pan, pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into it and swirl. Add the onions return the pan to the oven and cook, stirring once or twice, until they're well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the rosemary. Stir the onions and rosemary into the batter, then immediately pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pancake is firm and the edges set.
• Heat the broiler and brush the top of the pancake with 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if it looks dry. Set the pancake a few inches away from the broiler, and cook just long enough to brown it in spots. Cut it into wedges, and serve hot or warm.

FARINATA (LIGURIAN BREAD/SNACK)

Steps:

• Whisk chickpea flour, salt, and water until no lumps remain. Whisk in 2 tblsps olive oil. Cover and set aside at room temperature overnight.
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Put a well-seasoned cast iron (or non-stick) skillet in the oven to warm up for 5 minutes. Add a little olive oil to the skillet (enough to generously coat the bottom) and return to the oven for 2 more minutes.
• Whisk the batter well before using. Pour in enough batter to cover the bottom of the skillet and form 3mm thick layer (about 3 times the thickness of a crepe). The batter will sizzle. Place the pan in the oven, and cook until the pancake is dry on top and solid in the center when you nick it with a knife, about 12 minutes.
• Carefully remove farinata to a plate, add more oil to the pan and repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve as soon as farinata is out of the pan, or put on a cookie sheet in one layer and warm up in the oven after you finish the batter.
• Cut into wedges and serve as a snack. Or fill with all kinds of savory goodies like a crêpe.

FARINATA WEDGES

Steps:

• Whisk chickpea flour, salt and pepper in large bowl to blend. Whisk 1 3/4 cups water and 1/4 cup olive oil in medium bowl. Add water mixture to dry ingredients; whisk until batter is smooth. Cover; let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Preheat broiler. Thoroughly coat 12-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour half of batter into skillet, tilting skillet to spread evenly. Broil until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 450°F. Transfer skillet to oven and bake farinata until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 3 minutes. Cool. Run spatula around sides of skillet to loosen farinata, then slide out onto cutting board. Repeat with second half of batter. Cut each farinata into 6 wedges.
• *Available at Middle Eastern markets and some natural foods stores.