Socca is a gluten-free cross between a pancake, a crepe and a dosa. It’s made with a chickpea flour, water and oil batter that’s poured onto a wide skillet and cooked over an open fire, then topped with a sprinkling of salt. Chef Suzanne Barr tried one for the first time when she’s was in Nice, and she loved the nuttiness from the chickpeas, the crunch of the salt and the pureness of the olive oil so much that she made her own version at Saturday Dinette by adding a hint of rosemary and serving it rolled up and stuffed with ricotta. Serve it with Barr’s Jamaican Chicken Curry.
Read our interview with Suzanne Barr here.
Rosemary Socca Chickpea Flatbread
Suzanne Barr’s Rosemary Socca is a gluten-free chickpea flatbread with a crispy edge and nutty flavour. Infused with rosemary and optionally served with ricotta, it’s an elegant and simple dish perfect for entertaining or a light snack.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chickpea flour
- 4 cups water
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for skillet
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 2 tsp chopped rosemary
- Flaked sea salt to season
Instructions
- In large bowl, stir together chickpea flour, water, olive oil, salt and rosemary; the mixture should resemble pancake batter. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat broiler to high. Generously cover bottom of 12-inch cast-iron skillet or oven-safe skillet with olive oil. Place in oven and heat until almost smoking, about 6 minutes.
- Pour 1½ cups of the batter into centre of hot skillet, tilting and swirling to coat bottom, using a spoon if needed. Broil until golden and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set socca aside and repeat with more olive oil and remaining batter.
- Serve socca with a sprinkling of flaked sea salt.
Notes
Tip:
Chickpea flour, which is made from finely milled chickpeas, has long been a staple of Indian and Pakistani cooking. It is becoming the health-food ingredient for its gluten-free and heart-healthy qualities. Look for this ultra-fine flour in bulk stores or at your local Indian grocer.
