Homemade chickpea farinata or fainà

Chickpea farinata or fainà (in Genoese dialect) is a work of art of Ligurian cuisine based on a few simple ingredients: chickpea flour, water, extra virgin olive oil and salt.

In Liguria, it is generally found in the old fried food shops (called Sciamadde) or in traditional local restaurants, cooked over a wood stove in the famous “testo” (a tin-plated copper pan). The softness of the dough and the crust that forms on top make it really exquisite. And today it is also a famous street food.

It origins go way back and are a mix of history and legend. It certainly began as part of the simple cooking of the poor, when wheat flour was considered a luxury.

It can seem difficult to make at home. Everyone, in fact, fails at their first attempts. But if you follow some practical advice you will have a truly satisfying result.

The secret lies not in the quantities of the ingredients but in the container they are cooked in (the testo, a copper pan always used for fainà, which is capable of resisting high temperatures) and in the method of cooking, which must take place at a high temperature in the upper part of the oven.

The testo, copper on the outside and plated with tin on the inside, is difficult to find outside Liguria but can now be found online. Just find the right size for your oven and follow the instructions for the correct treatment before using it. Before use it should be treated, putting it well greased with oil (never wash it with water or soap) for 20 minutes in a very hot oven. It should be cleaned only with absorbent kitchen paper.

Here you will find the traditional recipe but this preparation can be enriched with other ingredients such as artichokes, rosemary or redbait (it used to be made with whitebait or gianchetti) and spring onions. It is also excellent with a sprinkling of pepper served with stracchino or gorgonzola.