This recipe will make three griddle cakes. We’ve been known to substitute acorn flour and add salmon roe to make this dish uniquely Californian. If you’ve got access to a wood-burning pizza oven, then you absolutely have to make this dish.

DIRECTIONS

1. Begin by preheating your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together chickpea flour and water until smooth then whisk in the salt and two tablespoons of olive oil. Let stand at room temperature for thirty minutes to allow the chickpea flour to fully hydrate.

2. In a ten-inch cast-iron skillet, sweat the onions in one tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt at a moderate heat for ten minutes or until golden. Set aside in a separate dish to cool.

3. Turn up the heat on the skillet to high and when the pan is nearly smoking add the tomatoes and a small drizzle of olive oil. Stir the tomatoes occasionally and cook until the skins blister and pick up a dark color, just two or three minutes. Make sure most of the liquid cooks off and set aside in a separate paper towel-lined dish to cool.

4. Return the cast iron pan to moderately high heat. Give the pan a good wipe with an oily paper towel to clean. Add ½ tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and coat evenly. Stir and ladle just under a cup of batter into the pan and return to the heat. Quickly scatter ⅓ of the blistered tomatoes and ⅓ of the onions over the batter and toss in the oven for fifteen minutes. You may need to finish the griddle cake under the broiler for 1-3 minutes before removing it. Edges should be golden brown and the top crisp.

Slide the griddle cake onto a wooden cutting board and repeat this process two more times. Cut the cake into wedges and garnish with torn basil leaves. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.