If you have never had Genovese farinata (it is pretty difficult to come by outside of the Ligurian coast), it is similar to the Southern French Socca – a chickpea flour and olive oil pancake baked in a large pan until golden and slightly crispy on the outside, seasoned with cracked black pepper and eaten with fingers, hot from the oven.
So here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
Chickpea flour, 100g
Water, 200ml
Olive oil, 3 tbsp
Tamari, 1½ tbsp
Lime juice, ½ lime squeezed
Dill, a handful
Red onion, ½ thinly sliced
Pine nuts, 20g
Dried or chopped oregano and basil, to taste
Instructions
Put the chickpea flour in a large bowl and add the water. Whisk energetically until no clumps remain.
Add 2 tbsp of the oil, whisk until smooth. Let the mixture sit, covered, for at least 30 minutes (a few hours if you can).
Heat up the oven to 200C, and while you wait add the tamari, the lime juice and the dill to the mixture. Mix well.
With the remaining tbsp of oil, coat the bottom of a 30cm pan and then pour the mixture.
Add the onion rings, the pine nuts and the herbs. Bake the farinata for 30 minutes, it should be crispy on the sides without being dry.
This version uses way less oil than the original recipe, and I added dill, lime, red onions and pine nuts for added flavour. This thick chickpea pancake is delicious eaten hot from the oven, dipped into some home-made houmous or babaganoush with a side of rocket or other leafy greens.
