Plates to pick you up: Farinata 

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Plates to pick you up: Farinata

By Melissa Hemsley

Published: | Updated:

A must-make. Chickpea batter baked into a thin, crispy pancake, perfect for dipping into hummus or to have alongside soups or a hearty veg stew.

MAKES 8 slices

TAKES 40 minutes (hands-on time 10 minutes)

150g chickpea (gram) flour

5 tbsp olive oil

1¼ tsp sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling on top

good pinch of black pepper

1 red onion, finely sliced

20 pitted black olives, halved

6 sprigs of rosemary

  • Place the flour in a big jug or mixing bowl and slowly pour in 300ml of water, whisking as you go.
  • Preheat the oven to its highest temperature. Take your largest baking tin, approx 30cm x 22cm (if you don’t have one this large, use two smaller tins approx 22cm x 18cm). Grease the base and sides with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and place in the oven to heat up.
  • Whisk the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil into the flour mix, along with the salt and lots of black pepper.
  • Remove the hot tin(s) from the oven, pour in the batter and top evenly with the onion, olives and the rosemary sprigs. Bake for 30 minutes until deeply golden and crisp on top. (Check after 20 minutes and turn down the temperature to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 if it’s getting too dark.) Let the farinata cool in the tin(s) for 15 minutes (if you can wait that long!) before cutting into eight slices (or quarters, if using two tins) and serving with an extra sprinkling of salt on top.

VARIATION Swap half the olives for 6 anchovies.