Chickpea Flour Pizza with Tomato and Parmesan

• Recipe by Madhur Jaffrey

Called socca in Nice and farinata in Genoa, this workingman's morning snack is traditionally baked in brick ovens in pizza pans. My method calls for using a skillet on the stovetop, then moving the pizza to the broiler.

Ingredients

1. 2/3 cup chickpea flour (see Notes)
2. 1/3 teaspoon salt
3. 1 cup water
4. 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
5. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6. 2 tablespoons chopped tomato
7. 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
8. 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
9. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the broiler. Sift the chickpea flour with the salt into a medium bowl. Slowly add 1/4 cup of the water, whisking constantly to form a paste. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup of water and let the batter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then stir in the rosemary.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet. Stir the batter once, pour it into the skillet and drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top. Cook the pizza over moderately high heat until the bottom is golden and crisp and the top is almost set, 2 to 3 minutes. Burst any large air bubbles with the tip of a knife.
3. Sprinkle the tomato, onion, Parmesan and pepper over the top, then place the skillet under the broiler and cook until the pizza is golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Slide the pizza onto a work surface, cut into wedges and serve hot.

Notes

Chickpea flour is available at Indian and Middle Eastern markets, at health-food stores and by mail from Kalustyan's (212-685-3451).