Farinata

Put the 120 g of chickpea flour and the 5 g of salt in a bowl. Pour in the 360 g of water a little at a time, whisking all the while so that no lumps form.

Check A smooth, very liquid batter: lift the whisk and no lumps or dry specks of flour show.

Tip An immersion blender does it in a minute and leaves no lumps.

Tip The oil does not go into the batter: it goes into the hot tin just before baking.

While the oven heats, skim off all the foam and bubbles that have formed on the batter, with a spoon or a small ladle.

Check The surface of the batter is smooth and clear, with no foam left.

Tip Left on, the foam turns black in the oven, which looks and tastes bad.

As soon as the tin is out, switch the oven to the grill, or to top heat only, and set it to 300 °C; if your oven does not reach it, set 280 °C. Leave the shelf where it is.

Check The grill is on and the oven is heating towards 300 °C.

Tip The farinata bakes near the heat that comes from above: that is why the shelf is high and the grill is on.

Tip Below 280 °C the farinata still bakes, but more slowly and not quite as well. Our guide: if your oven stops at 250 °C, use top heat at its maximum and expect about 15–20 minutes in all; go by the checks in the baking steps.

Tip Our guide: if your grill has power levels rather than a thermostat, set it to full power, read the temperature on the oven thermometer and go by the checks.

Tip Our guide: never put an empty tinned testo back in the oven once the grill is on; it goes under the grill only with the batter in it.

Pour the 50 ml of olive oil into the hot tin and tilt it so the oil covers the whole base.

Check An even layer of oil over the whole base of the tin.

Tip Our guide: hold the tin with oven gloves; it is still very hot.

Pour the batter into the oiled tin. Then, slowly, with a wooden spoon, draw the oil from the edges of the tin in towards the centre of the batter, all the way round.

Check The batter lies in an even layer about 6 mm–7 mm deep, with the oil worked in from the edges all round.

Tip Keep the layer level: where it is thicker, the farinata stays soft and does not crisp.

Take the tin out and, with a wooden or plastic spatula, cut the farinata into generous slices and lift them out. Serve straight away, hot or warm, with a grind of black pepper if you like.

Check The slices lift out whole, crisp and coloured underneath.

Tip Our guide: never cut it with a knife in a tinned copper tin: a metal blade scratches the lining.

Tip Our guide: anything not eaten goes in the fridge, covered, in a shallow container, within 2 hours, and is eaten within 3 days; reheat it in a hot oven until piping hot, 75 °C at the centre.

Once the tin has cooled, pour in some water and leave it for a couple of hours to soften whatever has stuck. Then remove the residue with your fingertips only, with no sponge or cloth, dry the tin gently, spread a tablespoon of clean oil over it with kitchen paper, wipe it lightly and put it away.

Check The tin is clean and glossy, with a thin film of oil left on it.

Tip The film of oil is what keeps the next farinata from sticking: never scrub it off with a sponge or washing-up liquid.

Tip A new testo: before its first farinata, wash it once (the only time) with water and washing-up liquid, pour in a generous half glass of oil, put it in the oven at 200 °C for 3–4 minutes, pour the oil away, dry it with kitchen paper only and store it upright. Before baking, wipe off the dust with kitchen paper dipped in a little clean oil.

Tip Expect the first four or five farinate in a new testo to stick in places. Clean it as above after each; once the film has built up, nothing sticks.