SOCCA!

Somewhere in my Opposites Attack research of foods popular in the South of France, I read about socca, a flat bread/pancake/crêpe made from chick pea (a.k.a. garbanzo bean) flour. It sounded more like a Latin-American dance than something you would eat. One passage stuck in my head about a man at a big outdoor market in Nice who was famous for his socca. He made it in a large copper device over an open flame. It was even better when accompanied with his fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. All that made it into the novel.

I scoured the net for this man in vain. But I did come across David Lebovitz’s blog: Living the Sweet Life in Paris. Thanks, David. Rub it in why don’t you? You’re living the sweet life in Paris and we’re not. Fine. But he did have an excellent post titled “The Best Socca in Nice” with lots of photos that show you just how varied it can be. Click here to read more.

For my first try at socca, I did my usual Internet search for recipes and then did my own thing. I thought it would be hard to find the flour but it was in the health foods section of the first chain supermarket I visited. This is the brand I used, Bob’s Red Mill Stone Ground Garbanzo Bean Flour.       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directions

1. Sift 2 cups of the flour into a large bowl.

2. Grind salt and pepper to taste over it. Snip fresh rosemary into it. I used three 6 inches stems from my garden, just the leaves.

3. Add two cups of warm water.

4. Stir with a whisk until blended. Let sit at least 15 minutes.

5. Heat a cast-iron skillet in the oven at 450 degrees (232 Celsius).

6.Remove skillet from oven and carefully add 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil to coat the bottom. Use a paper towel to coat the sides.

7. Pour in batter. Put in oven and bake for 15 minutes. You may have to bake longer, maybe even twice as long depending on how thick or thin the original batter. I like it a little under-cooked. It tastes moister to me.

8. When done, remove from oven and sprinkle kosher salt on top.

This is a great accompaniment to any meal. It can also be cut into small squares and used like a cracker for cheese and dips before dinner. I’ve even had it for breakfast, warmed with almond butter and preserves slathered over it. If served for a dinner party you’re unlikely to have leftovers.