Baking Hermann
Recipes

Farinata

One of my favourite twists to making chickpea tofu is to turn it into farinata instead. Farinata is a thin chickpea pancake that originated in Genoa and is known in France as ‘socca’. Traditionally, it’s made from chickpea flour, but just like with the Burmese-styled tofu, you can start with whole, dried chickpeas.
2 hr +

Usually, farinata would be baked in a hot pizza oven. To replicate it at home, most recipes will ask you to crank up the oven to the highest temperature and finish the farinata under the grill. I usually just bake it in the oven until set and then serve it upside down, showing off the beautifully golden & crispy base, with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of flakey sea salt and black pepper.

Ingredients

  • 100g dried chickpeas

  • 60g olive oil

  • 5g rosemary

  • Flakey salt

  • Black pepper

Method

Soak the chickpeas overnight in 3x the amount of water.

The next day, drain the chickpeas and pulse them in a food processor (I used my Vitamix) to break down slightly. Then add 220 ml of water and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl, mix in half of the olive oil and let it sit for around 2 hours (or up to 12).

Half an hour before the batter has rested long enough, pick the rosemary leaves and finely chop them. Preheat the oven along with a large non-stick frying pan to 220°C. When the batter is ready, add the rosemary to the bowl along with 1/2 tsp salt.

Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle in the remaining olive oil. Slowly pour in the batter and twirl and shake the pan to evenly spread it out. Then place the pan back in the oven and bake the farinata for 25 minutes (a chopstick should come out clean). With this method, the bottom tends to be crispier and more golden, so I usually flip the farinata by placing a plate on top and turning the pan upside down. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flakey sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve warm.

Farinata

One of my favourite twists to making chickpea tofu is to turn it into farinata instead. Farinata is a thin chickpea pancake that originated in Genoa and is known in France as ‘socca’. Traditionally, it’s made from chickpea flour, but just like with the Burmese-styled tofu, you can start with whole, dried chickpeas.
Active Time 2 hours
Course Snack, Street food
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g dried chickpeas
  • 60 g olive oil
  • 5 g rosemary
  • flakey salt
  • black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Soak the chickpeas overnight in 3x the amount of water.
  • The next day, drain the chickpeas and pulse them in a food processor (I used my Vitamix) to break down slightly. Then add 220 ml of water and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a bowl, mix in half of the olive oil and let it sit for around 2 hours (or up to 12).
  • Half an hour before the batter has rested long enough, pick the rosemary leaves and finely chop them. Pre-heat the oven along with a large non-stick frying pan to 220°C. When the batter is ready, add the rosemary to the bowl along with 1/2 tsp salt.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle in the remaining olive oil. Slowly pour in the batter and twirl and shake the pan to evenly spread it out. Then place the pan back in the oven and bake the farinata for 25 minutes (a chopstick should come out clean). With this method, the bottom tends to be crispier and more golden, so I usually flip the farinata by placing a plate on top and turning the pan upside down. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with flakey sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve warm.
Print Recipe

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Recent Recipes

Pani Walalu (Sri Lankan New Year Sweet)

Pani Walalu (Sri Lankan New Year Sweet)

Sinking your teeth into Pani Walalu is a textural delight as much as it is a flavourful sensation. Crispy and sweet on the outside, soft and slightly savoury on the inside, these fermented urad dal sweets are an unusual but extremely satisfying treat. They are...

Tahdig-Inspired Crispy Saffron Rice

Tahdig-Inspired Crispy Saffron Rice

Tahdig is a culinary highlight of Persian cooking. Perfectly steamed rice made better by giving it an incredibly crispy bottom layer. Traditionally, it's made with butter and/or yoghurt, but I've always been craving a naturally plant-based version of this crispy rice....

How to Bloom Saffron

How to Bloom Saffron

Measured by weight, saffron is valued more than gold. It takes 75,000 blossoms to produce 1 pound of saffron, and each individual stigma needs to be picked by hand at the prime of its season. Add to the the intense aroma and flavour of saffron and it's no surprise...

Rishta bil Adas (Lebanese Pasta & Lentil Soup)

Rishta bil Adas (Lebanese Pasta & Lentil Soup)

Pasta has long been a staple of Levantine cuisine, where it has found its way into rice and lentil dishes, and even desserts. It has the ability to lift a humble meal of lentils into a complete protein, and makes it incredibly fun to eat. Rishta bil Adas is one of...

Keshek el Fouqara (Lebanese Bulgur Cheese)

Keshek el Fouqara (Lebanese Bulgur Cheese)

Keshek el Fouqara (literally "poor man's cheese") is an ancient Lebanese recipe developed by farmers who were too poor to afford a goat to make dairy products. Instead, they soaked and fermented bulgur until it developed cheese-like flavours. A popular recipe until...

Any Legume Pancakes

Any Legume Pancakes

I'm determined that legumes need to play a more central role in our daily diet. They are a powerhouse, both nutritionally as well as in their contribution to nature (more on that below), and by simply choosing to eat them, we can support their diversity and those who...

Xingren Doufu (Chinese Almond Tofu)

Xingren Doufu (Chinese Almond Tofu)

As an Amazon Associate I receive a small commission from affiliate links on this page.Despite being called "Almond Tofu", Xingren Doufu is traditionally not made with almonds at all. The reason for this is a simple linguistic confusion. The mandarin words Xing Ren are...

Sprouted Legumes

Sprouted Legumes

Sprouting legumes is the easiest way to appreciate that they are in fact dormant seeds ready to burst into life. All it takes is a little care and attention and each legume is underway to essentially grow into its own plant. But sprouting has more benefits than a...

Adas Bil Hamod (Lebanese Lentil & Lemon Soup)

Adas Bil Hamod (Lebanese Lentil & Lemon Soup)

During my quest to explore traditional plant-based dishes from around the world, I’ve come to appreciate how even the most humble ingredients can be elevated by ingenious techniques. At first glance, the Lebanese Adas Bil Hamod appears to be a simple lentil soup....

Uttapam (Indian Rice & Lentil Pancakes)

Uttapam (Indian Rice & Lentil Pancakes)

Just like Idli and Dosa, Uttapam is made from a fermented batter of rice and lentils (urad dal). However, rather than steamed in trays or spread out thinly in a pan, it is fried into a thick, fluffy pancake and topped with aromatics like onion, chillis, tomatoes and...

Chickpea Yogurt

Chickpea Yogurt

Making yogurt out of chickpeas does not quite sound like the dairy alternative we’ve all been hoping for. But it ticks a few important boxes. It’s soy- and nut-free, a natural source of protein and also probiotic. All of this makes a combination that’s not easy to...

Kuru Fasulye (White Bean Stew)

Kuru Fasulye (White Bean Stew)

Contrary to belief, the national dish of Turkey is not Kebab, Lahmacun or Menemen. Instead, many locals will name Kuru Fasulye, a fiery stew of white beans that have been slow-cooked in a rich tomato, pepper and chilli broth. Although you’ll often find Kuru Fasulye...