Socca (chickpea pancake)
Prep 5 mins
Cook 15 mins
Serves 4-6
Difficulty 2
Socca is a pancake made from chickpea (besan) flour that is found in the South of France. In Liguria over the border in Italy, it’s known as Farinata. It’s a really great alternative to flatbread as a starter to a dinner - when served warm from the pan with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and scattering of sea salt flakes it’s absolutely delicious. It’s important to season the pan well before cooking and maintain the right heat, a hot pan is good, but too hot, enough so the pancake becomes golden on the base and crunchy around the edges.
Handful of sage leaves
Mild-flavoured extra virgin olive oil
Lemon wedges, to serve
SOCCA BATTER
200g chickpea flour
250 ml water
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to serve
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
1. Whisk chickpea flour and water in bowl to combine, then set aside to rest (5 minutes).
2. Heat a medium-sized non-stick frying pan over high heat until hot. Add a good slug of olive oil so it coats the base of the pan, then add ¼ of the batter and swirl the pan to cover. Scatter over 6-8 sage leaves and leave the pancake now to cook until crisp on the base (1-2 minutes), then shuffle the pan to loosen and flip the pancake over - if your confident try this in one jerking motion, if not turn with a spatula. Cook until just set (1-2 minutes), then serve warm, drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and scattered with sea salt flakes, with lemon for squeezing if desired.
Recipe by Lisa Featherby and image by Eatable.
