CHICKPEA FARINATA ORIGINAL RECIPE
The CHICKPEA FARINATA is a traditional recipe from both Liguria and Tuscany, but it can also be found in many other regions of Italy where it is known by different names: from cecina to fainè to socca and many others.
It is a kind of very flat savory pie with a crispy golden crust made with only 4 simple ingredients: chickpea flour, water, oil, and salt.
You will simply need to make a batter by mixing chickpea flour with water in a bowl, let the mixture rest for at least 20 minutes, and then pour it directly into the baking tray. Add the oil, a little salt, mix, and immediately into the oven.
Despite the process being very simple, it is necessary to follow a few simple tips for the successful outcome of the recipe. First of all, the resting time, which is essential to fully hydrate the dry legumes.
Secondly, it is important to choose the right baking tray – it should be cooked in a copper ‘testo’ – but if you don’t have one, it is crucial to choose a non-stick baking tray and grease it well to prevent the farinata from sticking to the bottom.
The CHICKPEA FARINATA is a good and genuine recipe in its simplicity, now becoming the street food par excellence in the Ligurian alleys and many other regions of Italy up to nearby Nice where it is called Socca.
It is great on its own as an appetizer, accompanied by cheeses and cured meats, or enriched with different ingredients suggested in the note at the end of the recipe. Discover how to prepare CHICKPEA FARINATA at home.
Related Ligurian Recipes
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Inexpensive
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 3
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 338.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 31.22 (g) of which sugars 5.86 (g)
- Proteins 12.09 (g)
- Fat 18.73 (g) of which saturated 2.53 (g)of which unsaturated 2.42 (g)
- Fibers 5.83 (g)
- Sodium 1,610.74 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 135 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKPEA FARINATA
- 2 cups chickpea flour
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- Bowl
- Baking tray
HOW TO PREPARE CHICKPEA FARINATA
Place the chickpea flour in a bowl and mix it with 2.5 cups of lukewarm water, pouring it gradually and stirring with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Once you have a smooth batter, cover the bowl and let it rest for at least 6 hours at room temperature, or even better overnight (if the rest time exceeds 10 hours, it is preferable to store the bowl in the refrigerator).
After the resting time, use a skimmer to remove any foam that may have formed on the surface, then stir the mixture again with the whisk to incorporate the flour that has settled at the bottom. Pour directly into the baking tray (28 cm diameter), add the oil and salt, and quickly mix with a spoon.
Bake the FARINATA in a static preheated oven at 482°F for the first 10 minutes, placing the tray at the lowest part of the oven. After the time has passed, move it to the middle shelf and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes until the surface is nicely golden. Once out of the oven, let it cool slightly. You can season it to taste with a pinch of pepper.
CHICKPEA FARINATA VARIANTS: MANY IDEAS TO ENRICH IT
Chickpea farinata is one of the simplest Italian dishes from the traditional poor cuisine, requiring very few ingredients: chickpea flour, water, and extra virgin olive oil, with optional salt and pepper. However, we can add ingredients to the original farinata recipe that, without changing the dish, offer a different and unusual flavor. Here are some suggestions.
1) CHICKPEA FARINATA WITH ONIONS
One of the most appreciated variants is the one with onions. To prepare it, once the farinata batter has rested and is placed in the pan, sprinkle finely sliced fresh green onions on top and bake. Cook until you see the traditional golden crust forming on the farinata.
2) FARINATA WITH AROMATIC HERBS
For an even more special and aromatic farinata without complicating things too much, just add a few leaves of marjoram and rosemary needles to the mixture before baking. Those who want to try a farinata with an unusual taste can add ½ teaspoon of turmeric.
3) FARINATA WITH ARTICHOKES
In addition to the usual farinata ingredients, get 1 artichoke. First, remove the stem and the tougher outer leaves from the artichoke, then cut it in half and remove the internal fuzz, and finally slice it thinly. After pouring the farinata mixture into the tray, distribute the artichokes on the surface (or only on half of the tray to have 2 different flavors: classic farinata and artichoke farinata). Bake according to the classic farinata times and temperatures.
4) FARINATA WITH SAUSAGE
If you love rich and flavorful tastes, farinata with added Sausage is for you. To prepare it, simply peel 150 g of sausage and cut it into cubes. Once the farinata mixture is poured into the tray, evenly spread the sausage pieces on the surface (you can also place them only on half of the tray if you want two types of farinata in one tray).
5) FARINATA WITH WHITEBAIT
A necessary premise: ‘bianchetti’ (or ‘gianchetti’ in Genoese) is the commercial name given to the juveniles of bluefish, particularly sardines and anchovies. However, the fishing of bianchetti is currently banned because the capture of such small fish would jeopardize the reproductive cycle of these species, preventing them from reaching maturity and risking extinction. Having clarified this, the farinata variant with bianchetti used to be a well-known and renowned variant typical of Voltri. Today, to avoid breaking the fishing ban but still prepare this specialty, ‘rossetti’ are used, which, unlike bianchetti, are not newborn fish (fry) but already adult specimens of very small size. As for their taste, many say they are even better than bianchetti. Returning to the farinata variant with bianchetti (rossetti), simply buy about 200 g of rossetti and add them to the farinata mixture just before placing it in the tray. Bake as for the Classic Farinata.
NOTES
You can enjoy the farinata as it is or try these pairings: with whitebait, with stracchino cheese, with artichokes, with mushrooms, with radishes, and mixed greens added after baking.
STORAGE
Chickpea farinata can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days in an airtight container. You can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
HISTORY
History tells us that farinata was born in 1284 in Genoa when it defeated Pisa in the Battle of Meloria. On the way back from the battle, the Genoese ships found themselves caught in a storm, and some barrels of oil and chickpea flour were overturned and soaked in saltwater. Due to the scarcity of provisions, everything possible was salvaged, and the sailors were served a mixture of chickpeas and oil that, in an attempt to make it less unpleasant, they set out to dry in the sun, resulting in a kind of pancake. On land, the Genoese perfected this recipe into the specialty we still enjoy today.
