There are other ways of spelling this word for basically a fried flat bread or an eggless pancake with onions. However, the hardest thing besides trying to figure out what is the correct spelling – in my family it seemed as if everyone has another way of spelling it – is how do you pronounce this word. It seems as if the “N” is silent. However, don’t trust me on this one. It is one of those recipes that in all the decades that I have hung out with the Calabrian side (from Cosenza) of my Italian family has never come up. Perhaps because I was in the countryside an hour away from the city of Cosenza, beneath the mountains of Sila, in the summer with a large group of extended family and food fillers were needed to satisfy the varied generations grouped together. Besides me being Jamaican, there was the Neapolitan and a Roman as well, and four generations. So, with an older aunt steeped in local traditional recipes, a cousin who loves to cook, although she resided in Rome but with a very strong desire to maintain some traditions, this came out. I fell in love. How could I not, with a very simple recipe of flour, water, salt, and beautiful sweet red onions. Of course, they use the noteworthily delicious red onions of the Calabrian town Tropea, famous throughout Italy, and difficult to impossible to find outside of the region. In my New York kitchen I just make myself happy by using the red onions I can find, sometimes even mixing them with shallots. Such an easy recipe that is versatile and I will experiment a bit more with ingredients in the future. Right now, as it is a new addition to our menu, my half Calabrian is enjoying a bit of nostalgia so I will leave it as is, but as Autumn and then Winter come along, get ready to see a varied version from herbs, to vegetables being added in. What would you add in or substitute? How would you serve this? I would love to know.
Nchiambara – Calabrian or Cosentino Flat Bread
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: approximately 20 minutes
1 medium red onion, slivered (approximately 1 - 1½ cups)
1 cup all-purpose flour (approximately 150 gr)
1 ½ cups of sparkling water (approximately 250 gr)
½ tsp salt, and a pinch to add to onions
Black pepper and or dry hot pepper to taste (optional)
Fresh thyme (optional; approximately 1 tsp)
Olive oil
Place a large nonstick frying pan on medium heat, and then cover the bottom with enough oil to cover the bottom. Pour the slivered onions into the pan and allow to soften. Stir occasionally not allowing them to burn. If desired add thyme (Jamaican addition as is the pepper). After approximately 10 minutes add a pinch of salt mixing well. Continue cooking until the onions are softened and slightly caramelized. Remove from the heat.
Mix together the flour, water and salt, blending well with a whisk until the mix is similar to a pancake batter. Add the onions, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan. Stir well. Reheat the pan at medium-high heat and add more oil if needed. Pour the batter back into the pan, spreading out and patting down evenly so that the mixture covers the bottom of the pan like a large pancake. Let cook for approximately 5 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary. After 5 minutes using a plate (I use a light-weight metal pizza pan) to cover the pan, carefully flip over the bread and slip carefully into the pan. Flatten down again if necessary. Let cook for another 5 minutes until both sides are crispy and golden in color. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Note: I like to add about 1 – 2 Tbsps. of pecorino to the batter. Also, since I like mine rather crispy, I may cook an additional minute or two on either side. Cut in squares or triangles to serve as an appetizer or part of the meal. This is more or less the traditional recipe, but you might like to play with the ingredients substituting other aromatics or vegetables to the batter. I also love to serve it with a soft cheese like ricotta or labneh flavored with extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest or aromatic herbs and spices.