I have always had a conflictual relationship with farinata, the famous Genoa chickpea tart. Sincere and dispassionate love when bought already made, deep hate mixed with discomfort when I prepared it at home. Yes, I’ve neve been able to properly bake a farinata. Too high, too thin, burnt on top, raw at the base, and vice versa, or “decomposed” into a thousand of greasy bubbles… and so on. A clear culinary frustration because if you read the recipe it seems the simplest thing in the world: make a batter with water and chickpea flour, let it rest, pour it over an oiled baking pan and bake in the hot oven. That’s it, easy isn’t it? So the problem had always been me. And since I already had enough frustrations I had decided that we could buy our farinata from the bakery near our house, fairy good by the way.
Making farinata has always been a thorn in my side until someone taught me how to do it. It is true that experience shows but it is also true that those who have more experience than you can show you, and you certainly gain self-esteem!
Tricks to prepare a perfect farinata
Without other preambles (I’ll tell you the story of the farinata at the end of the recipe), here are the tricks to prepare a perfect farinata like the one sold in Genoa downtown alleys:
- The proportions between the ingredients are fixed and invariable. 75% water, 25% chickpea flour and, on total, 1-0,8% salt and 12-10% oil.
- The thickness of the chickpea tart is fundamental. It must be between 0.7 and 0.9 cm. Only the right amount of batter inside the pan guarantees that your farinata cooking remains moist underneath, cooked in the center and crispy above. For this reason, to each baking pan corresponds a quantity of batter and, consequently, different doses of ingredients. Here is a summary scheme (for a lighter result, less salty and oily, you can lower the amounts of salt and oil of 10% in the amounts below ) :
- The perfect pan is round and in copper. Copper is in fact an excellent thermal conductor. The farinata, however, comes out good even in normal trays, even in the disposable one in aluminum!
- The batter, without lumps, must rest at least 4 hours, better 8, at room temperature. The flour must absorb the water very well. Mix it every 2 hours and remove the foam that eventually forms on top (these are the impurities that the chickpeas release).
- Salt should be added at the end, just before pouring the batter of your farinata into the pan.
- No oil in the mixture. The oil – which can also be simple olive oil (yes, I know, the purists of extra virgin olive oil will quiver but the extra virgin olive oil with its taste so decided in cooking is likely to overpower all other flavors) – must only form a protective film inside the pan and cover over and under the batter. For this fundamental step some precautions are necessary: the pan must be already hot before pouring the oil, and then the farinata, inside; the farinata batter must be poured very slowly making it slide along a spoon placed in the center of the pan. In this way it will float over the oil without breaking its surface or mixing with it. The oil will then rise along the edges and cover the batter even on the surface. This will create a sort of “pajam” of oil that wraps the batter.
- The oven must be very hot. The optimal temperature would be 300°C (570°F) but not all the home ovens reach it. So you set the maximum temperature and bake it in the lower shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes (the time depends on the size of the pan) or until the farinata has turned golden. Then you Ttrn off the oven and turn on the grill function for 5 minutes to obtain a nice nut-colored crust on the surface.
- Farinata MUST be eaten warm. This is the biggest advantage in preparing it at home! Once baked, sprinkle with black pepper, wait a minute and then serve!
- You can season/empower farinata with some toppings before baking: rosemary springs, gorgonzola cheese, small whitebait or – when in season – with finely sliced fresh artichokes, which is my favorite variation!
Farinata: the Genoa chickpea tart.
Ingredients
for a 35cm diameter pan
- 190 g of chickpea flour
- 570 cc of lukewarm water
- 8 g of salt
- 90 g of olive oil
Instructions
- Put the chickpea flour in a bowl and add lukewarm water a little at a time stirring with a whisk so that a smooth and lump-free batter is created.
- Let it rest at room temperature covered with transparent film for at least 4 hours (better 8).
- Mix it every 2 hours and remove the foam that eventually forms on top (these are the impurities that release the chickpeas).
- When the batter is ready, preheat the oven to 280°C - 300°C (530-570°F) and put the empty pan inside.
- Add salt to the batter and stir.
- Take the pan from the oven, be careful not to burn, and pour in the oil.
- Then take a wooden spoon, place it at an angle of 45 ° in the center of the pan and pour the batter inside the pan making it run along the spoon (the batter will gently float over the oil and the oil will create a protective film above and under the batter without mixing with it).
- Bake in the lower shelf of the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the farinata will not have a light hazelnut color.
- Then turn off the oven and turn on the grill mode for 5 minutes to create a light brown crust on the surface.
- Remove from the oven, wait a minute, sprinkle with pepper and serve hot.
Brief history of farinata
Farinata is one of the most representative dishes of Genoese street food. It is an ancient dish so popular that the Genoese give it a legend to remember one of the greatest achievements in the city’s history: the defeat of the Pisans in the Meloria battle (Pisa too was a Maritime Republic and it was a great rival of Genoa for the dominance over Corsica and Sardinia).
The year was 1284. It is said that on the return from the battle the Genoese fleet encountered a storm. The bags of chickpea flour on board the ships overturned and the flour mixed with the sea water that swept the decks. After the storm the sailors, exhausted and hungry, recovered the batter and put it to dry in the sun. The next day they tasted it and discovered its goodness. When they got home, they refined the recipe baking it in wood ovens and, in defiance of the won enemy, they called it “the gold of Pisa”.
A legend, certainly, because farinata dates back to Roman times and similar dishes – based on water and chickpea flour – are also typical of other Mediterranean regions: in Tuscany, in Pisa – in fact – you can eat cecina, in Livorno a cake of chickpeas, in Sardinia the fainé, in Sicily there are the famous panelleand in Provence a tart very similar to farinata and called socca. In short, the chickpea flour over the centuries has fed and conquered so many seafaring peoples!
Where to buy farinata in Genoa
If you are passing through Genoa, here are some places where I recommend to buy it:
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33 Comments
Thank you for explaining how to make the farinata. Maybe this time I will get it right.
My word, this is amazing. I tried the first time with a rectangular roasting pan, guestimating the quantities and it was just OK. Then I bought a round pizza pan, resistant to 240 degrees and followed the recipe to the letter. This time, it was amazing, and took us straight back to eating it in Genoa. Than you so much!!!
Hello! Oh, thank you! I’m so happy to hear that!
This is the very best recipe I have found on-line. I use a cast iron skillet with excellent results. Thank You !!!
I’m so happy to hear that!!! Thank you!
Just made this your way and it’s fantastic just like my cousins in Chiavari near Genova but I have areal tray Thank you
I’m so happy!! You made my day 🙂
Excellent recipe! And like you, when making “farinata” previously, I’ve always asked “what am I doing wrong? 10/10 and simple to make, following these instructions. Thanks
Finalmente sono riuscito a cucinare una farinata! La assaggiai per la prima volta a Genova 10 anni fa e da allora ho tentato numerose volte di ricreare quella magia nella mia cucina, ma ogni tentativo falliva. Non mi arrendevo perché non riuscivo a capire come una ricetta tanto semplice con appena 3 ingredienti potesse essere così elusiva! Ho trovato la tua ricetta circa un mese fa, l’ho stampata e messa da parte. Sapevo che se anche questa volta avessi fallito, allora avrei dovuto dire addio per sempre al mio progetto. Oggi ho trovato il coraggio per l’ennesimo tentativo. Con che palpitazione guardavo la mia farinata dorarsi nel forno e quando finalmente l ho tirata fuori, sapevo prima di assaggiarla, che era la volta giusta. Saltavo di gioia e quando finalmente l ho assaggiata non sono rimasto deluso.
Grazie grazie grazie grazie grazie grazie
[…] Antica Sciamadda San Giorgio where Alberto, the owner, was waiting for showing us how to prepare farinata (the Genoese chickpea tart) in the wood oven. I regret that this part of the shooting has been cut, […]
Enrica,
Thank you for sharing the technique of pouring the farinata down a spoon held at a 45 degree angle. I haven’t tried that technique but it makes so much sense. I make farinata frequently using different sized copper “testas” that I bought in Genova and Rapallo. Each time I use them I think of our travels around the Liguria. You have beautiful blog! —- Linda
Hi there,
Is the spoon touching the pan when pouring the batter? Is it parallel to the pan, at an angle, or perpendicular? For the first time, I would watch a video showing this technique!
Thanks,
Dixie
Question what kind of sal do you use— kosher or sea salt? Can’t wait to make this tonight. Hope to hear back shortly
Hello Enrica
I came to Genoa to learn pasta in more detail and whilst there, the family I stayed with took me to a local place where I tried Farinata. I fell in love with it! So good.
I’ve tried before but the recipes didn’t work and last night I tried yours and… Perfect! Thank you.
I hope you are all well during these challenging times and when everything is back to normal I look forward to coming back for a visit!
I am SO glad that I discovered your website and this recipe. I have tried others, but this one is just perfect. Thank you for sharing it and we hope to be back in Genoa soon.
Keep going. My family love your recipes – absolutely the best farinata.
[…] you can also try grinding them in a blender and sifting out the fine flour. I like eating farinata straight out of the oven and unadorned, but it also pairs well with caramelized onions or any kind […]
[…] you can also try grinding them in a blender and sifting out the fine flour. I like eating farinata straight out of the oven and unadorned, but it also pairs well with caramelized onions or any kind […]
[…] may also strive grinding them in a blender and sifting out the high quality flour. I like consuming farinata straight out of the oven and unadorned, nevertheless it additionally pairs effectively with […]
Fantastic!
Like at home!
Every time a success!
Matteo from Genova, living in Cape Town – south Africa
Grazie Matteo!
La farinata come a casa! Chicca
I use sea salt!
Hello! The spoon is not touching the pan should have a 45° angle. The idea is to let the farinata slip on the oil surface so that the oil incapsulate the farinata batter. Hope you will master this trick as it is very useful!
Thank you Linda!!
Hello Enrica,
I cooked my very first farinata last night using your instructions and firstly let me say that it was good. I had to scale the quantities down a bit as I only have a 28cm pan to fit inside my small microwave combi oven and I did have a small mishap with the oil but nothing serious. The only query I have is that 1% salt seemed very salty to both me and husband. I let the batter rest for 6 hours and only added the salt just before adding the batter to the hot oil in the pan. I did mix in the salt to the batter so I’m wondering if I did anything wrong or whether, after years of health warnings, we’re just not used to salty recipes.
Dear Jano,
salt is always a matter of tastes but also a matter of salts. Some are saltier other less salty, it seems weird but there are so many different salts in the world! You made the correct proceedings, so If according to you farinata was too salty, just use some less salt!
[…] test of time through the hands of countless cooks. Such is the case for socca, alternately known as farinata depending on who you ask, and is the meal-sized enlargement of the crisply fried, well-salted bar […]
[…] unas claves esenciales para lograr esa textura perfecta que tanta fama le ha dado. Siguiendo las recomendaciones de Enrica, la elaboración en realidad es muy sencilla. Solo necesita cierto tiempo de reposo y un […]
So glad to have discovered this nice little blog. I love the way you explained the recipe and the legend of its provenance. I’m looking forward to making this dish tomorrow!
[…] to taste savory pies, focaccia al formaggio (cheese pie) and farinata (chickpea pie), or friggitorie for fried street food such as frisceu (deep fried scoops of […]
[…] this blog post for Enrica’s most helpful advice about how to pour the batter into the hot oil gently, so it […]
Can’t wait to try this! My grandparents were from Genoa , emigrated to the US in 1900 and I still have cousins your area. Thank goodness for Facebook and the internet!
This sounds wonderful. My mother was a secretarial girl and not so much an Italian cook. So I have very few family recipes. Perhaps this will become my contribution for my children Wish me luck ! So glad I found your blog too!
Amazing post! I thought I knew the way to farinata heaven, but now I will have to tweak several steps, including how long to rest the mixture and the oven temperature. Bravo Enrica.