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Cravable Carmel: Discover a New Summer Recipe by La Balena's Emanuele and Anna Bartolini
Cravable experiences and flavors from Carmel-by-the-Sea extend beyond sea-salt filled breezes and sun-kissed summer days. The culinary scene in this quaint seaside village is thriving with more than 60 restaurants in one-square-mile. From freshly foraged seafood offerings to seasonal produce from the surrounding Salinas Valley, visitors and residents alike are treated to vastly diverse menu items that soon become cravable staples to any visit. This season, home chefs can adapt one of Carmel's favorite dishes in their own kitchen.
La Balena Carmel features artisanal rustic Italian food with a menu that rotates daily to maintain the integrity of their locally grown and slowly prepared food philosophy. On days when Emanuele and Anna Bartolini, owners of La Balena, have time to fire up the grill at home, they're usually reaching for this delicious chickpea pancake as a light bite before dinner. This gluten free dish (served cold) is a treat they typically enjoy when spending time in Florence.
"We find ourselves snacking on La Cecina as a late afternoon snack at one of our favorite spots in the city center Cantinetta da Verrazzano, located right between the Duomo and Palazzo Vecchio," explains Anna. "It is a recipe also found in Liguria, where it is known as Farinata, as well as in France."
Emanuele offers several tips to make this dish your own: "we recommend La Cecina either as-is, or as a base topped with cured meats, such as our favorite Prosciutto Toscano, or topped with your favorite grilled vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and peppers drizzled in olive oil."
La Cecina from La Balena
Ingredients
1 1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt + an extra sprinkle for the top
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + plus a little more to coat the bottom of the pan and drizzle on top after cooked
2 1/2 cups of water
Materials
In Italy this is usually cooked in a round pan, but we like to use our square 10" x 10" pre-seasoned metal pizza pan.
Directions
- Mix the chickpea flour, salt and water with a whisk until smooth. Try to remove all the lumps.
- At this point add in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and keep whisking until the oil is also blended. It should have a thin, runny consistency. Add a little more water if it is too thick.
- Cover the mixture (I use a plate on top of the bowl) and let sit for at least an hour. Some recipes suggest up to 4 hours.
- Coat the bottom of your pan with a drizzle of olive oil coating the bottom.
- Preheat the oven to 430 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for approximately 28 minutes. Keep an eye out and watch it bubble as it starts to cook! We like ours extra crispy on the sides, so we usually allow it to cool in the oven.
- Sprinkle a little salt on the top while still warm.
- Enjoy plain or with your favorite toppings.
