This cross between traditional stewed carrot tzimmes and Italian chickpea flour pancakes personifies the beautiful blending of cultures that’s at the heart of the Seder dinners hosted by Hillary Sterling at her restaurant, Vic’s, in New York City. Sterling, who herself is Jewish and grew up in Brooklyn, looks for menu inspiration in Italian-Jewish gastronomy. This year, she focused on Ferrara, a city in Emilia-Romagna with a rich Jewish history that dates back to the early Middle Ages. This is how tzimmes, an Ashkenazi Jewish dish of cooked carrots with prunes, became a farinata, a chickpea flour pancake typical of Ferrara, enriched with carrot juice, roasted carrots, prunes, and chile butter. Calabrian chile powder is available at well-stocked Italian grocery stores or online. Leftover wedges are tasty topped with tomato jam and crumbled goat cheese.
How to Make It
Bring sherry to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Place prunes in a heatproof glass bowl; pour sherry over. Let stand until cool, about 20 minutes.
Stir together butter, honey, 1 teaspoon chile powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 500°F. Whisk together chickpea flour, carrot juice, ground coriander seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon chile powder in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add carrot slices, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet; set aside. Wipe skillet clean.
Add canola oil to skillet; heat over medium-high until very hot, about 2 minutes. Pour in chickpea batter. (Oil should come up over batter.) Arrange carrot slices on top of batter; cook 1 minute.
Transfer skillet to preheated oven; bake until set, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven; transfer chickpea pancake to a cutting board. Cut into 8 wedges. Top with butter mixture and soaked prunes (drain before serving). Garnish with carrot tops.