Farinata for your Friday

Simple Cooking: Farinata Flatbread As A Gluten Free Pizza Crust

A friend writes for the Chicagoist and posted this awesome recipe.

Farinata

The photo came from here so don't get mad at me for not citing it

Batter
1 cup flour
1 cup water, plus 1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper

Optional add-ins
1 tablespoon fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
handful of grated parmesan

Baking
medium (we used 9-inch) round cake pan, pie tin or cast iron skillet
Enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom

Toppings
Whatever the hell you want.

1. Sift the flour with the salt and black pepper. If you think you've put in too much black pepper, put in more black pepper. Seriously, you won't regret it. Whisk in the water and olive oil slowly. Bittman recommends the batter be the texture of heavy cream, but we liked it a little thinner and added a tablespoon more water.

2. Set the batter aside and cover it. Some recommend leaving it for half an hour, some recommend putting it in the fridge overnight, but everyone agrees that it's best if the batter has a little time to breathe before you toss it in the oven.

3. While that happens, preheat your oven to 450 degrees, with the pan inside. Once it's heated, take the pan out and add just enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Put the pan back in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the oil is shimmering.

4. Stir the add-in ingredients, i.e. herbs and parmesan, into the batter. Then slowly pour the batter into the center of the pan, and keep it thin. Give the pan a little swirl to make sure the batter is evenly covering the bottom. Don't just dump the whole bowl in there if it doesn't look right. Then put the pan back in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until it's slightly firm in the middle and brown around the edges.

5. Then, put it in the broiler for a couple of minutes (keep an eye on it!) just until the top starts to brown. Take it out and let it set for a minute or two.

6. If you're going the pizza route, dab the oil off the top, then flip the farinata out of the cake pan and onto a cookie sheet or pizza stone. Dab the oil off the other side, too. Then add your sauce, cheese, toppings, etc., and pop the cookie sheet back in the oven until the cheese melts.

7. Eat it. Did I have to tell you that part?

Our Toppings
As you'll see in the photos above, we caramelized onions in olive oil with some salt, then sautéed in some chopped mushrooms with them. We used tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and grated parmesan, then put the onions and mushrooms on with some shredded prosciutto.