CHICKPEA CRUST PIZZA MARGHERITA

By seamline

This recipe yields four 10-inch crusts. You can make them ahead of time, pop them in the oven at the last minute, then add the toppings. I’m betting that after you try this chickpea pizza just once, you’ll want to experiment with other toppings.

Ingredients

• 11/2 cups (61/4 ounces) garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 11/3 cups water
• 11/2 cups chopped tomatoes (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 5 ounces coarsely shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup shredded fresh basil

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 30mins
Adapted from pressherald.com

Preparation

Step 1

Into a medium bowl, sift together the chickpea flour, table salt and pepper. Add 1/3 cup of water and whisk until the mixture has the consistency of a smooth paste. Add the remaining 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking until the batter is smooth with each addition. Let stand for 30 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

In a colander, toss the tomatoes with the kosher salt. Set over the sink or a large bowl and let drain for 15 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to dry, then in a medium bowl combine them with the garlic.

Heat the oven to 400 F.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 10-inch nonstick or stick-resistant skillet over very high. Whisk the batter and add a quarter of it (about 1/2 cup) to the skillet. Tip the pan to spread the batter evenly over the bottom of the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-high.

Drizzle 2 teaspoons of the oil on top of the pancake, spreading it with a rubber spatula and cook the pancake until nicely browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Peek underneath the pancake to see if it is browned. Do not attempt to flip it until it is browned.

Flip the pancake and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned on the second side (it will not brown as much on the second side). Transfer the pancake to a sheet pan, browner side down. Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter and oil to make 3 more pancakes, transferring them as they are done to the sheet pan. You will need 2 sheet pans.

Divide the tomatoes among the 4 pizza crusts, then top each with a quarter of the cheese. Bake the pizzas in the middle of the oven for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Cut the pizzas into wedges, sprinkle the basil on top and serve immediately.

With tomatoes now in season, I’ve topped my chickpea pizza with the classic Margherita combo: tomato, basil and mozzarella. Start by salting the tomatoes, which drains them of excess liquid and maximizes their lusciousness, then toss them with a little minced garlic. The tomatoes drain while the batter rests.

If you want slightly crispier crusts, bake the pizza shells in the middle of the oven for 5 minutes before topping them.