Farinata Margherita Pizza

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Pour water into a bowl and whisk in chickpea flour (slowly) until smooth. (I use an immersion blender for this) Let stand for 1 to 2 hours. Before cooking, spoon foam off of the top of the mixture and discard. Stir in the kosher salt. Put two racks in your oven, one in the lower part of the oven and one in the middle—heat oven to 500º F.

2. 2

   Toss the cherry tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.

3. 3

   Heat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet and add three tablespoons of olive oil, tip to coat bottom, and up the sides. Pour in batter, tipping the pan to cover bottom (1/4 inch thick). Put the skillet on the lower rack of the oven and the baking sheet (with the tomatoes) on the upper rack. Bake until the farinata crust is crisp around the edges and golden on top and the tomatoes are soft and browning, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. 4

   Remove both pans from the oven. Use a thin spatula to make sure the crust is free from the pan. Top the farinata crust with fresh mozzarella and arrange the tomatoes evenly. Return the pan to the top rack in the oven and bake until the cheese melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil leaves and coarse sea salt.

5. 5

   Lift the pizza and to a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.