In Tuscany they call it Cecina. In Piemonte it’s called Farinata. However, you want to call it, this Italian traditional specialty is deliziosa, and fast and easy to make also as a last minute meal idea.
It can be made simply with only three ingredients: chickpea flour, water and salt! This version I’m showing you today is a variation from Liguria which adds some freshness, taste and color with asparagus.
Did I forget to mention that it’s also totally vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients
1 bunch asparagus (about 400 g)
150 g of chickpea flour
300 ml of water
extra virgin olive oil (preferably aromatic for frying)
salt and pepper
Directions
Asparagus prep
- Wash the asparagus and remove the hardest part of the stem,
- let them stand on the stems to boil with very little water for about 10 minutes using a deep pan with a lid.
- Drain, and cool
- cut them into pieces of about 2-3 cm.
- Sauté for a few minutes in a large pan (ideally 28-cm diameter) with some oil .
Batter
- Prepare a batter by mixing the chickpea flour with water, mixing it well to avoid lumps, then add salt.
Cover it and let it sit for about 30 minutes. - Pour the batter into the pan along with the asparagus, cook until it turns brown on both sides and sprinkle with pepper, preferably freshly ground.
- If necessary, to prevent it from sticking to the pan, add more oil.