Chef Jessica Goodman is all about eating well. While stuck at home, she’s been thinking about ways to cook creatively, eat deliciously, and stay healthy at the same time. Her recipe for crispy farro manages to tick all of those boxes.
For the past few months, I’ve been seeing tahdigs all over social media. These crispy rice cakes are made in a skillet and inverted. When they’re done, they end up with a beautiful golden brown crust. Seeing all of those gorgeous grain cakes inspired me to try taking a similar approach with one of my favorite ingredients: farro.
Farro is an ancient grain, and it’s also an excellent source of fiber and protein, popular in Mediterranean diets. It has a subtle nutty flavor that’s deliciously enhanced when toasted. You can use it in place of rice in almost any dish, and it’s especially delicious in cold grain salads or added to soups and stews.
This recipe is the perfect way to use up anything you have in your fridge. I love it with eggs and any vegetables. It would also be delicious as a side dish with any protein. You could even add it to a salad for a nice crunch.
Recipe: Crispy Farro Cake
- 1 cup cooked farro
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 3-5 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon pickled onions
- 1 tbsp pesto
- Calabrian chili oil
1. In a medium nonstick pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the grains in an even layer, and press down with a spatula. Let sit without stirring for 8 minutes, and begin the next step. After 8 minutes, cover with a lid and let the grains on top steam for 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
2. While the grains cook, in a different small nonstick pan, add a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat. Crack two eggs into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until your desired degree of doneness.
3. When the grains are done crisping, place a plate larger than the pan on top of the pan and carefully flip crispy grains onto the plate (you could also slide the crispy grains right onto a plate as well). Top your crispy grains with fried eggs, sliced tomatoes, and pickled onions. Drizzle pesto and Calabrian chili oil over the top. Enjoy!
