Farinata with rossetti is a variant from the Voltri area of the traditional fainà: the dialect term for a recipe from traditional Ligurian cuisine based on a few simple ingredients: chickpea flour, water, extra virgin olive oil and salt.
The dough can be enriched with various ingredients: spring onions, artichokes, rosemary and rossetti (transparent goby), small adult fish (Aphia minuta) heavily used in Liguria and Tuscany.
It used to be made with whitebait, the commercial name for baby sardines and anchovies, fished in the Mediterranean Sea. Today the fishing of juvenile fish is banned (apart from the odd boat authorized for experimental purposes) because it prevents the species from reaching adult age and therefore blocks the reproductive cycle, depleting our wonderful sea.
In Liguria, farinata is a popular street food which can be found in the ancient Sciamadde of the old town, where it is cooked in wood stoves in a special copper pan called a “testo”. The softness of the dough and the crust that forms on top make it really exquisite. And the flavour of the fish does the rest.
Ingredients
Tools
Steps
Quantities for a 30 cm testo or baking pan.
Whisk the chickpea flour, salt and water, ensuring there are no lumps.
Allow to rest for four or five hours. If prepared the evening before, put in the fridge to rest.
Once the necessary time has passed, if bubbles have formed, remove them with a tablespoon.
Add the fish and stir.
Preheat the fan oven to 220°C.
Once the right temperature has been reached, put the testo inside the oven for a minute.
Take it out carefully (as it is hot!) and pour in the extra virgin olive oil.
Meanwhile, turn the oven up to maximum temperature with the fan grill setting. The ideal would be 300°C but few ovens can reach this. Mine goes up to 230°C.
Pour the mix into the testo and, using a wooden spoon, mix well with the oil, taking it towards the middle of the farinata.
Put in the middle part of the oven using the fan grill setting for about 15 minutes at the maximum temperature. A fine golden crust should form.
Note: since the batter is very liquid there is the risk of spilling it. Rest the testo or pan on the grill and slide them into the oven together.
Serve hot in squares.
Varied doses for servings