Cecina - an update

I recently posted about a new recipe I'd found for a chickpea pancake called Cecina

While watching a TV programme ( the excellent Taste of Italy from Nisha Katona on Channel 4) featuring the food of the Italian town of Lucca, I saw Cecina being cooked in a large pan and finished off in a pizza oven.

My first Cecina was cooked in the oven, Yorkshire pudding style. but cooking it in a frying pan seemed so much simpler, and quicker. so I gave it a go. It was a breeze, cooked in about 10 minutes, had a lovely texture ( crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the middle) and great flavour. I thought it was less tough than the one I made in the oven. It was so good, you can see i'd eaten most of it before I remembered to take a picture!

It was great eaten as simple breakfast with a sprinkle of salt as a vegetarian/vegan pancake, but would make a good substitute for a tattie scone in a fried breakfast (or, for the omnivorous, a couple of rashers of bacon). I can also see it going well with a curry, and I think it could also go well with jam as a sweet pancake. In fact, I think a thinner version could be a vegan substitute for an egg pancake.

To make, whisk 3/4 cup of gram (chickpea) flour with 3/4 cup of water and a pinch of salt. Leave for a few hours, or overnight, in the fridge.

In the morning, stir the mixture well. Pour two tbsp of olive oil into a 30cm frying pan, and heat on high for 30 seconds. Pour in the pancake mixture and make sure it speads evenly across the pan. After a couple of minutes, turn the heat down slightly. Flip the pancake (or turn carefully with a spatula) once the underside is crisp and golden brown. Cook the other side until golden brown. Serve hot.

Notes

1. If you dont have a large frying pan, use a smaller pan and split the mixture in half for two pancakes, or half the recipe.