chickpea pancake with artichokes

farinata con carciofi

This is served in Liguria as street food, like pizza, and is delicious with drinks or with a plate of prosciutto.

for 6

2 fresh, medium globe artichokes

250 g chickpea flour, sieved

750 ml warm water

Maldon salt

lemon juice or parsley stalks

extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

To make the farinata, add the sieved flour to the warm water in a bowl, whisking all the time to prevent any lumps from forming. Add 1 tablespoon salt, cover the bowl, and leave in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Remove the dark green outer leaves from the artichokes, until you get to the tender pale leaves. Cut off the tough tops of the hearts, and use a teaspoon to scrape out the chokes, if any. Slice the hearts and tender leaves very finely, and cover with water acidulated with lemon juice or parsley stalks.

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas 8.

Remove the foam from the top of the batter and stir in 75 ml olive oil. Pour a further tablespoon of oil into the farinata pan (see here) and put into the oven until the oil is just smoking. Quickly remove and pour in the chickpea batter. The farinata should be very thin – no more than 1 cm deep. Scatter over the artichoke slices, salt and thyme, and dribble on some olive oil. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 10–15 minutes. The surface should bubble slightly, and the edges will have become crisp. Serve immediately.