Ingredients
- 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing
- 2-3/4 cups chickpea flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- a good grinding of black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups tepid water
- 2 large egg whites
FOR THE ANCHOÏADE
- 3-1/2-ounce jar of anchovies, drained
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- a good handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
More from Flipping Good Pancakes:
Flipping Good Pancakes (Kyle Books, 2018) by Sudi Pigott takes inspiration from countries all over the world to create her dynamic pancakes perfect for any meal. Readers can enjoy creating recipes from more than 25 different countries perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack time, and even dessert. Pigott encourages adventuring into new territory with pancakes by preparing and eating them throughout the week and venturing beyond your typical pancakes with sugar and syrup and trying traditional recipes from countries like Japan, Sri Lankan and many more.
Socca, made with chickpea flour, olive oil, and water, is so simple, and so redolent of sunny Nice and the French Riviera. I especially like it with homemade anchoïade and crème fraîche, although pistou or tapenade are great accompaniments too. I first tried it in Nice’s Cours Saleya market — the socca is transported there from a bakery deep in the Old Town on the back of a bicycle, and it smells so enticing. Chez Pipo on the edge of Nice Old Town, however, is the real deal. Here the socca is cooked over a mightily impressive wood fire and has a satisfyingly deep, earthy, smoky tang. I am impressed, however, by just how good socca made in a frying pan tastes, especially with the addition of a generous teaspoon of cumin, which adds toasty notes that hint at a wood fire. Folding in two egg whites makes for a lighter socca, although it is not essential and definitely not how the Niçoise make it.
In Nice market, socca is served cut into triangles and sprinkled with sea salt. I find it makes a rather good appetizer or party snack. It is extra-good with a special seaweed salt, or even a truffle salt.