Fainá

Fainá or farinata is a simple dish from Genoa basically made up of chickpea flour that, mixed with water, is placed in the oven and eaten in a similar way as we would a pizza.

Fainá is not only eaten in Italy but is very popular in South America, the Maghreb and it is also the most popular dish in Gibraltar.

There are many fainá recipes but the one that has given me the best results has been the original Italian recipe. The relationship between chickpea flour and water is always the same, no matter how much we make: 1/4 chickpea flour, 3/4 water. That is to say, of the total weight, whatever it is, 3/4 will always be water. If we have a cup of chickpea flour, we will need a cup and a half of water (a cup of chickpea flour weighs about 100 grams / 3.5 oz).

It also has salt and pepper, oil and in some recipes rosemary is added.

INGREDIENTS :

• 4 cups of chickpea flour (360 grams)
• 5 cups and a half (1.1 liters) of water
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pepper
• Rosemary

Doing fainá is not difficult but it has a trick. In many cookbooks it is indicated that you mix the ingredients and direct to the oven. You can do it, but it is best to let the dough rest. And it shows a lot in the final result.

First we pour the chickpea flour into a bowl making a volcano shape, with a depression in the center. We pour the water little by little and begin to mix avoiding lumps. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: DO IT SLOWLY. When the mixture is free of lumps, we add the salt. The result is an almost liquid mass. Let it rest for at least 8 hours (it is best to leave it overnight).

The next morning we remove the foam that has formed on the surface with a slotted spoon. In a large flat mold - like the ones used to make large cakes or pizzas - we pour the oil and add the dough little by little so that it binds well. When everything is homogeneous, we preheat the oven to 180 degrees (356 F) and insert the tray for at least half an hour or until it solidifies due to the action of heat.

Take it out, sprinkle it with ground pepper and eat. Some put mozzarella or other things on top. I prefer simplicity and if you like chickpeas, you will love the fainá without further ado.