Fresh Socca Recipe (Farinata) (2024)

FAQs

What pan is best for farinata? ›

Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. (If you have a socca pan, obviously that will work well also.)

Remember to toast the chickpea flour in a dry skillet or oven beforehand to eliminate any bitterness in the final dish.

Made with just chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt, farinata is a naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan delight. It's fairly easy to make, you just need to plan ahead: give yourself at least 4 hours to allow the flour to hydrate while you go about your day.

Just make sure to break out the sifter to remove any lumps or large pieces. The toasted chickpea flour should only take about 10-15 minutes to make, so there's no need to make it in huge quantities.

The proper ratio of water to chickpea flour makes a very thin batter that cooks up into a custardy pancake. Resting the batter allows the chickpea flour to fully hydrate.

Farinata is an Italian fried cake made from chickpea flour.

It is known by a variety of names, among them socca, fainá, cecina, and torta di ceci.

By adding baking soda, you are increasing the pH of the water and making it more alkaline. This helps break down the pectin in the chickpeas which softens their skins better and faster. This is especially important when you are making hummus and want the creamiest consistency possible.

The chickpeas are sautéed with baking soda for a few minutes, before dumping in the water to simmer the chickpeas. The baking soda makes the water more alkaline, which softens the chickpeas more quickly by weakening their pectic bonds.

Chickpeas flour will cause you digestive discomfort if you have already experienced it with whole chickpeas. When consuming take it in smaller quantities and have plenty of water as it will helps ease digestion and avoid unwanted symptoms like bloating, cramps and gas.

The great thing about chickpea flour is that it's high in fibre and generally healthier than regular gluten-free flour. It's also real versatile and chickpeas are a good source of vegan protein too. Farinata is a simple traditional flatbread that's made of chickpea flour, making it a naturally gluten-free dish.

What does farinata mean in italian? ›

Farinata means “made of flour” in standard Italian.

Farinata is best eaten hot, straight out of the oven. The traditional way of eating it is simple, with a sprinkle of salt and a couple of twists of freshly ground black pepper.

When stored in a cool, dry and dark place, an unopened pack of chickpea flour can last up to 1 year past the printed date on the package. However, once opened, it should be used within 6 months for best quality. If you've frozen your chickpea flour, it can last for an impressive 2 years.

Besan flour, gram flour, and garbanzo bean flour are all chickpea flours; they're just made from different varieties of chickpeas. Chickpea flour or garbanzo bean flour is milled using whole white chickpeas (garbanzo beans). Besan or gram flour is made by grinding split brown chickpeas (chana dal) into a fine powder.

While you can easily buy pre-made chickpea flour (also known as garbanzo bean flour), you'll find that making your own homemade flour is definitely cheaper, especially if you use a lot of this gluten-free flour.

To make homemade crepes on the stove, you want a crepe pan. These pans are designed specifically for the purpose — they have a large, flat surface (usually 8 inches or 10 inches, depending on what size crepes you're making) and a low rim around the outside.

You want a pan that heats up and cools down quickly because that will give you more control when working with finicky sauces. Your best bet will be a 3-ply or 5-ply fully clad saucepan that's made with high-quality aluminum and stainless steel.

Traditionally, chapatis are cooked on a jua kali pan, which is a heavy-duty pan made by Kenya artisans. In place of a jua kali pan, you can use a cast iron pan.