Super Simple Socca

This classic peasant food made from chickpea flour, water, and very little else is filling, but not too. Serve it with a big salad and a glass of Cotes de Provence and you've got yourself an authentic Nicoise lunch.

In Nice, they call this savory chickpea cake “socca,” and in nearby Toulon, it’s called “cade.”  In Italy, it’s called Farinata. Some of us are too busy stuffing our faces with it to refer to it as anything other than "fwrwfrs" (that's "delicious," as it sounds when uttered with a mouthful of socca).

​The traditional way to eat this is with a dusting of freshly ground black pepper, but it’s equally scrumptious eaten plain, with a splash of hot sauce, or stuffed with whatever your heart fancies, à la an omelet or crepe. The longer the batter sits, the better the final product tastes, so if you can give it 8 hours of alone time, you’ll be in for something extra special.

​Super Simple Socca
Serves 4
Gluten Free

2 cups chickpea flour
2 cups water
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. In a large bowl, combine chickpea flour, water, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and salt. Whisk until a smooth batter is formed.
3. Allow batter to sit, covered, for a minimum of three hours. Eight is better.
4. Place a large tart pan, in the oven. Let warm for five minutes. Carefully remove, then add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and swirl around the pan to coat. Return to the oven for 1 minute. Remove again carefully, and pour batter in.
5. Place tart pan with socca batter on the top rack of your oven. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top turns golden.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool before slicing into wedges and serving.

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Give this simple, savory chickpea flatbread more oomph by tossing your favorite flavors into the batter before popping it into the oven and baking for an extra 10 minutes. Some ideas:

• sliced olives
• sun-dried tomatoes
• sauteed onions or shallots
• chopped fresh spinach or other greens
• chopped fresh herbs, such as basil or oregano
• sliced cooked potato

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