Well that wasn’t easy, eh, those last weeks of April. Way too cold for the time of year. I had the urge to get grumpy, but what good does that do you? Instead, I decided to tickle myself a bit by making something really tasty and springy: a farinata with lemon hummus and grilled vegetables on top in a fresh, spicy dressing. Guess what? It worked, this is really a cheerful dish.
A farinata is a type of thick pancake made from chickpea flour and water. You will need a large iron frying pan with a diameter of about 30 centimeters. Chickpea flour is available at health food stores and at Mediterranean and tropical stores. (Note the expiration date, as the flour will go rancid quickly.)
Janneke Vreugdenhil
Farinata with lemon hummus and grilled vegetables Starter or lunch dish for 4, main course for 2 persons
For the farinata:
250 grams of chickpea flour; 4 – 5 tbsp olive oil
sieve the chickpea flour in a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of ground pepper and beat with a whisk, little by little, about 300 ml lukewarm water until a smooth, yogurt-thick batter is formed.
stir Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
Heat preheat the oven to 230 degrees. Place a large iron skillet in the oven and let it get piping hot. Remove the pan (carefully!) from the oven and pour in a dash of olive oil.
Sets Return the pan to the oven and let the oil get hot. If necessary, remove the foam layer that sometimes forms on the chickpea batter with a spoon and stir the batter again.
Haal Remove the pan from the oven again and pour in the batter. Drizzle with a little more olive oil.
Behind the farinata is done in 20 – 25 minutes. The center may still give a little when you lightly press it with an index finger. And the top of the cake is supposed to show black specks.
For the lemon hummus:
250 g cooked chickpeas (canned or freshly cooked); 1 garlic clove, peeled; 75 g white tahini; ¼ tsp ground cumin; zest of 1 lemon + juice of 1 – 2 lemons
Doe the chickpeas, the garlic clove, the tahini, the cumin, a good pinch of salt, 2/3 of the lemon zest and the juice of 1 lemon in the food processor. Add 4 tablespoons of water and puree.
Usage a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl, add this to the chickpea puree and let the machine run for 20 minutes (!). This way you get a super smooth, airy hummus. Taste to see if you need more lemon zest or juice.
For the garnish:
8 forest carrots, halved in length; 8 green asparagus, halved lengthwise; 12 radishes, large ones cut in half; a handful of peas (fresh or frozen), blanched briefly; juice of 1/2 lemon; 1 tbsp tarragon vinegar; 1 tsp honey; 4 tbsp olive oil; a pinch of ground cumin
heat a grill pan over high heat. Toss the carrots, asparagus and radishes with a tablespoon of olive oil and grill them for a few minutes until al dente.
Blancheer the peas for a few minutes until they are just al dente.
Bench in a large bowl, make a dressing of the lemon juice, vinegar, honey, olive oil, cumin, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the vegetables and toss.
Before serving:
leaves of a few sprigs of tarragon; a handful of chervil leaves
Leave slide the farinata onto a (round) cutting board. Spread with hummus and top with the grilled vegetables.
divide Top with the herb leaves, grind over some pepper and cut into wedges at the table.
HAMMERSMA’S WINE TIP
Bold white can handle this chickpea spice combination. Choose an Italian from San Gimignano.
Panizzi 2016 , Vernaccia di San Gimignano , Italy. 13.45 euros;
lesgenereux.nl
Newsletter
NRC Food & Health
The latest insights about food, the tastiest recipes and smart tips for a healthy life
Register
