Farinata di Ceci

Name: Farinata di Ceci
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Ligure
Ingredients: 200 g chickpea flour; 600 ml Water; 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 30 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 6 g Fine sea salt; 2 g Black pepper; 5 g Fresh rosemary

A golden, crisp-edged savoury pancake made from chickpea flour, water, and extra virgin olive oil, baked very hot and served in slices.

🇮🇹Italy· Liguria

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 285 kcal

Ingredients

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Servings

200 g chickpea flour — sifted
600 ml Water — lukewarm
30 ml Extra virgin olive oil — for the batter
30 ml Extra virgin olive oil — for greasing the pan
6 g Fine sea salt — dissolved into batter
2 g Black pepper — coarsely cracked, for serving
5 g Fresh rosemary — needles stripped and finely chopped

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Wire whisk
•Skimming spoon
•Wide shallow metal baking tin or copper pan
•Fine-mesh sieve

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 285 kcal
fat: 14 g
carbs: 30 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 11 g
calories: 285 kcal

Instructions

1
Sift the chickpea flour into a large mixing bowl to remove any lumps.
2
Pour in the water gradually, whisking constantly until completely smooth.
3
Cover the bowl and rest the batter at room temperature for at least three hours.
4
Skim off the pale froth that rises to the surface using a spoon.
5
Whisk in the sea salt and the first portion of extra virgin olive oil.
6
Preheat the oven to 250°C, placing a baking rack in the bottom third.
7
Coat the base of a wide, shallow baking pan with the remaining olive oil.
8
Pour the batter gently into the prepared pan to keep the layer thin.
9
Stir lightly with a fork to marble the olive oil through the surface.
10
Scatter the fresh rosemary evenly across the batter if you are using it.
11
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until golden with blistered brown spots.
12
Dust heavily with cracked black pepper and slice into wedges to serve immediately.

Chef's tips

Resting the batter is vital to hydrate the chickpea flour and eliminate any raw flavour. Keep the batter layer under one centimetre thick so the top crisps before the base dries out. Bake at the highest possible temperature to recreate the intense heat of a wood-fired oven.

Ingredient substitutions

Ligurian extra virgin olive oil → any mild, delicate extra virgin olive oil
fresh rosemary → very thinly sliced spring onions or omit entirely

Storage

Farinata is best eaten fresh from the oven, but leftovers keep refrigerated in a sealed container for up to two days.

Reheating

Reheat slices in a hot, dry frying pan over medium-high heat until the underside turns crisp again.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Skipping the resting time, which leaves a chalky texture and raw taste.
•Pouring the batter too thickly, resulting in a soggy, dense middle.
•Using insufficient olive oil, which causes sticking and prevents a crisp bottom.

Serving suggestions

Serve sizzling hot straight from the oven on greaseproof paper.Tuck a warm slice into fresh Genoese focaccia for a traditional local snack.Pair with a glass of chilled Ligurian Pigato or Vermentino white wine.