Socca (savory chickpea pancake)
Topped with a Salad of Spring Lettuce
Egg, Feta, Radish, Chili, Olives, Dill, Lemon, Tahini Sauce
Socca, a savory chickpea pancake, is known as Nice’s original street food. Often served au naturel in Provence, cut into shards as snack, pleasantly with a glass of chilled rosé. Socca can also be served with all kinds of toppings for a delightful lunch. It is usually baked on a large round flat copper pan in a wood-burning oven.
In this recipe, nontraditional cumin and smoked paprika added to the batter mimic the smokiness of a wood-burning oven. And a non-stick skillet on the stovetop stands in for the copper pan and makes cooking the socca a breeze.
Socca As A Snack with Rosé
Socca Recipe
Socca Pancakes
- 3/4 c. chickpea flour
- 3/4 t. kosher salt
- 1/4 t. ground cumin
- 1/4 t. smoked paprika
- 3/4 c. water
- 1 1/2 T. olive oil plus more for cooking
In a medium bowl mix flour with salt and spices. Whisk in water, then oil. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or more, whisking occasionally. Batter should be thin enough to spread easily over the entire bottom of the pan, if it is too thick, whisk in a bit more water.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add a splash of oil. When hot, pour half the batter into the pan. Cook until the edges are browned and the bottom is browning. Flip the pancake and continue to cook until golden brown. Makes 2 thin pancakes.
Tahini Sauce
Place a few scoops of tahini in a small bowl with minced garlic, lemon juice, and a bit of salt. Mix well. Stir in enough hot water to get a drizzle consistency.
A salad to complement the socca:
- spring lettuce mix – lightly dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper
- hard-boiled eggs – sliced
- feta – crumbled
- radish – thinly sliced
- red chili – sweet or hot, thinly sliced
- olives – sliced
- fresh dill – sprigs
- lemon – sliced in half-wheels
- tahini sauce – light drizzle on top of lettuces (serve extra sauce on the side)
Let pancake cool only slightly before composing salad on top. Serve immediately. Tear off pieces of socca and enjoy with the salad, or dip into extra tahini sauce on the side. Optionally, cut pancake into quarters before topping with salad. Then enjoy like a pizza.
Socca as a snack with Rosé:
Slice the hot socca into irregular shards. Season with sea salt, cracked black pepper and a light drizzle of good olive oil. Serve right away with chilled rosé. In the sunshine, Provence style.