Combine the chickpea flour with 10 ounces/300 milliliters water, using a whisk to work it well and eliminate any lumps of flour. (Do not add salt until later.)
Ferment this batter, loosely covered, for a few days (shorter in warmer places, longer in cooler places).
Whisk at least once each day, until you notice that it is getting frothy. Then, it is ready to use.
Preheat the oven at its highest setting.
Preheat the pan in the oven. I use a cast-iron pan. A lot of the recipes specify a copper pan, which, alas, I do not have.
While the pan is heating, add the salt to the batter and give it its final whisking.
Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven.
Add the oil and make sure it spreads evenly over the entire surface of the hot pan.
Slowly pour the batter down the length of a wooden spoon, held at a 45-degree angle just above the center of the pan, onto the hot oil.
If desired, sprinkle some small pieces of vegetables or cheese or whatever else you can imagine onto the surface of the batter.
Place the pan on the bottom rack of the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until it has set and it is golden in color.
Broil for a few more minutes to brown the surface.
Cool for a minute, then cut into pieces.
Enjoy farinata fresh and still warm.
The following recipe is from Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys by Sandor Ellix Katz (Chelsea Green Publishing, Oct 2021) and is reprinted with permission from the publisher.
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