Socca Food

SOCCA (FARINATA)

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450. Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. (If you have a socca pan, obviously that will work well also.)
• Put the chickpea flour in a bowl; add the salt and pepper. Slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and let sit while the oven heats, or for as long as 12 hours. The batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.
• Remove the pan, pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into it and swirl. Add the onions return the pan to the oven and cook, stirring once or twice, until they're well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the rosemary. Stir the onions and rosemary into the batter, then immediately pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pancake is firm and the edges set.
• Heat the broiler and brush the top of the pancake with 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if it looks dry. Set the pancake a few inches away from the broiler, and cook just long enough to brown it in spots. Cut it into wedges, and serve hot or warm.

SOCCA (PROVENCAL CHICKPEA FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl whisk together the garbanzo bean flour, salt and pepper. Pour in the water and continue to whisk until the batter is smooth. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and whisk to combine. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or up to several hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450 F.Heat a 12-inch heavy oven-proof frying pan (I prefer cast iron) and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil (I like to replace some of the olive oil with duck fat for the best flavor). Cook the onion until deeply caramelized, adding a small pinch of sugar to enhance the caramelization. Add the chopped rosemary and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture out evenly over the bottom of the pan.Pour the chickpea batter over the onion mixture. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the socca is firm, the edges are set, and it is golden in color. Next brush the socca with some additional olive oil and then place it under the broiler for another minute or two until well browned and just beginning to scorch in a few places.Cut into wedges and serve immediately while hot.

SOCCA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk chickpea flour, water, 1 tablespoon oil and salt until smooth. Let stand 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Place a 10-in. cast-iron skillet in oven until hot, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan; swirl to coat. Pour batter into the hot pan and tilt to coat evenly. , Broil 6 in. from heat until edges are crisp and browned and center just begins to brown, 5-7 minutes. Cut into wedges. If desired, top with optional ingredients.

WOOD-FIRED SOCCA WITH GARDEN HERB DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat a wood oven to 500 degrees F. (See Cook's Note.)
• Whisk the flour, oil, salt, cumin, paprika (if using) and 1 cup water in a medium mixing bowl until smooth. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
• For the herb dip: In a food processor, combine the basil, parsley, mint, oil, lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon salt and blend until smooth. Adjust the thickness with additional oil and adjust seasoning with the remaining salt. Put in a small bowl for dipping.
• Five minutes before the batter is finished resting, put a 10-inch cast-iron pan in the oven to preheat.
• Remove the preheated cast-iron pan from the oven, then coat with a teaspoon oil and pour in the socca batter. Place back in the oven and cook until blistering and brown, with crispy edges and flexible but cooked through in the center, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from the pan with a spatula to a cutting board. Sprinkle with black pepper and sea salt flakes. Rough cut into pieces and serve warm with the herb sauce and cold rose wine!

CHICKPEA SOCCA

Steps:

• Mix the chickpea flour, water, cumin and salt together until smooth. Whisk in the olive oil. Let sit for 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. (If refrigerating, allow to come to room temperature for 2 hours before cooking.)
• Preheat the broiler to high. In a 9-inch cast-iron pan on top of the stove, heat a small layer of oil until smoking. Add socca batter until a thin pancake forms. Cook until the edges just start to brown, then run the pan under the broiler. Broil until the batter looks cooked and starts to blister slightly.
• Flip the socca onto a cutting board. Sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle with olive oil. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve with toppings and cut into wedges.

SOCCA (PROVENCAL SAVORY CHICKPEA PANCAKE) - GLUTEN-FREE

Steps:

• Place heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet in oven and preheat to 450.
• In a large bowl, sift chickpea flour, pepper and salt together. After sifting, add rosemary leaves.
• Whisk in warm water and 2 tbsp olive oil.
• Cover the bowl and allow the batter set for at least 30 minutes, which should have the consistency of thick cream. Stir sliced onion into the batter.
• Remove skillet from oven. Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the hot pan, pour batter into pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the pancake is firm and the edges are set (top may not be browned).
• Set socca a few inches below your broiler for 1-2 minutes, just long enough to brown it in spots. Cut into wedges and serve hot, with toppings of your choice.

SHREDDED VEGETABLE SOCCA

Steps:

• Toss grated vegetable with big pinches of salt. Put it in a fine-mesh sieve and let drain, squeezing every so often so that the vegetable releases its water, for at least 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine cumin, coriander and fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the spices, shaking the pan often, until fragrant but not burned, about 3 minutes. Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind toasted spices to a powder.
• Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add drained vegetable, along with garlic, oregano, mint, cilantro, chickpea flour and toasted spices. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper, and mix well. If you are using winter squash, stir in cinnamon and ginger. (The pancake batter can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored, covered, in the fridge.)
• Melt butter in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Spoon in two 1/2 cupfuls of the pancake batter. Use the back of your spoon or a spatula to flatten each to 1/2-inch thick. Cook, rotating the skillet for even browning, until pancakes are nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Flip, then cook the second side for another few minutes. Transfer pancakes to a plate. Repeat to make 2 more pancakes, adding butter to the skillet if needed.
• Season labneh or yogurt with salt to taste. Just before serving, toss greens with lemon juice, oil and salt and pepper. Top each pancake with a dollop of labneh or yogurt and a tangle of greens.