A pan-baked dish with ancient origins in modern-day Italy, farinata—also known as socca—is a delicious chickpea pancake (or “panned cake”) that is naturally grain-free and vegan, too. In this version, the batter is infused with rosemary, and then the finished pancake is topped with chopped rosemary, flaky salt and black pepper. Serve the farinata as is as a side, treat it like a sandwich bread or tuck pieces between slices of focaccia bread for a carb-on-carb delight.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (150 grams) chickpea flour
- 1¼ cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (6-inch) sprig rosemary, left whole
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for cooking and garnish
- ¼ teaspoon fresh chopped rosemary, for garnish
- ¼ teaspoon flaky salt, for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish
Instructions
Baked Farinata di Ceci (Chickpea Pancakes) with Rosemary and Black Pepper
1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, salt and pepper. Add the sprig of rosemary. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.
2. If any foam has appeared on top of the mixture, skim it off and discard. Discard the rosemary sprig. Stir in the ¼ cup of olive oil.
3. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and grease it generously with olive oil. (If your pan has a nonstick coating, you may not need to line it with parchment.)
4. When the oven has preheated, pour the batter into the lined and greased pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the pancake is browned around the edges and cooked through.
5. Transfer the pancake to a cutting board. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and a few grinds of black pepper and top with a drizzle of olive oil. Cut the pancake into squares and serve right away.
