Farinata (chickpea flatbread) is a popular street food all along the Ligurian coast (and the French Riviera, where it’s called socca). As you stand in line at the vendors’ stall, drooling, you get to watch the action: One pours runny batter in a huge round sheet pan glistening with olive oil to bake crisp in one of the blazing-hot wood-fired ovens. Others swiftly proceed with hot-baked flatbread once ready, cutting it into wedges, triangles or squares.
This batter recipe is adapted from Slow Food’s Ligurian Farinata.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups chickpea flour
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, blistered
- ½ pound Tejas Heritage wild boar chorizo
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons for greasing
- Garden Pea Hummus (recipe to follow)
- fresh mint, parsley, basil and/or other herbs
- salt (I use salt flakes)
- black pepper (I use fresh-ground)
- extra-virgin olive oil
- ⅓ bunch mint, leaves only, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- ½ cup cooked garden peas
- juice + zest of 1 small lemon
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained
- extra-virgin olive oil as needed
- salt to taste
Preparation
Put the water in a bowl and whisk in the chickpea flour until you get a runny batter, similar to pancake batter. Mix in the salt, cover with a kitchen towel and let stand at least for a couple of hours, and ideally overnight.
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Spread the grape tomatoes in a single layer in a sheet pan. Put in the hot oven and blister for up to 5 minutes. Take out and let cool.
Heat a nonstick frying pan over high heat for 1 minute (no fat), add the chorizo and stir-fry until crumbled and cooked. Drain off fat and set chorizo aside.
Mix a ¼ cup olive oil into the batter until smooth and fully incorporated. Use the remaining olive oil to grease the pizza pan or cast-iron pan you’re using. Heat the pan with the oil in the hot oven for about 5 minutes. Take out and add the batter in 1 layer (½- to 1-inch thickness). Transfer to the oven and bake until crispy and golden.
When baked through, take the farinata out of the oven. Spoon the hummus on top and spread in a single layer (about ¼-inch thickness). Drop the blistered tomatoes all over, and do the same with the chorizo. Garnish with fresh herbs. To finish, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
To serve: Cut the farinata into wedges or squares (whichever works best for you). Arrange the pieces on a plate.
Minted White Bean Hummus
Makes about 2 cups
Put the chopped mint, garlic, peas, lemon juice + zest and cannellini beans in a bowl. Mix with an immersion blender until smooth, adding olive oil as needed. Season to taste with salt.
About this recipe
What you need:
A 16-inch-diameter pizza pan to make 1 large, or cast-iron skillet to make individual flatbreads.
Note: Merguez or ground pork chorizo will also work. For a meatless version, scatter Lira Rossa mozzarella, squacquero or ricotta salata on top.
