Olive, Onion & Sage Farinata served with a Celery, Tomato & Feta Salad

 By: The Food Hunter

 Farinata is a typical Liguarian street food made with chickpea flour and often topped with herbs. This version features a delicious combination of black olives, sage and sauteed onions. And while the farinata is perfect served alone a refreshing salad pairs well with it also.

This makes a wonderful light lunch or appetizer course.

 

Olive, Onion & Sage Farinata

Makes 1

1/2 cup chick-pea flour
1 cups cold water
1  teaspoons salt
2  tablespoons olive oil
1/4 large white onion, thinly sliced
15 Niçoise olives, pitted & chopped
15 fresh sage leaves, chopped

At least 1 hour before making farinata, set a pizza stone on rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 550°F.  You can also make this on an outdoor grill using a pizza stone.

Whisk together chick-pea flour and water until smooth, then whisk in salt and 2 tablespoons of oil. Let stand at least 30 minutes at room temperature. 

Cook onion with salt to taste in 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes, then cool. 

Put a seasoned 10-inch cast-iron round griddle on pizza stone and heat 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and add 1/2 tablespoon oil, tilting to coat evenly. Working quickly, stir batter and ladle evenly into pan (batter will sizzle and start to set almost immediately). 

Quickly scatter the onion, olives, and sage leaves over the batter and carefully return pan to pizza stone. If using an oven with a built-in broiler, bake 12 minutes, then turn oven setting to broil for 1 to 5 minutes. If using an oven with broiler underneath, bake 15 minutes, then transfer pan to broiler for 1 to 2 minutes. Edges should be golden brown and crisp and top flecked with golden spots. 

Slide farinata onto a cutting board.