(Chick)peas, Please

The solution called socca

When we think about the Mediterranean diet, we likely think of long farm tables set in the Tuscan countryside, groaning with bowls of handmade pasta, jugs of wine, and plates of jewel-like vegetables glistening with olive oil.  You can smell the tomatoes from here, amiright?

There is, however, a type of food that is missing from most such reveries but is an essential part of the Med cuisines: legumes. Legumes, and in particular, chickpeas.

Chickpeas are likely one of the first cultivated crops and there is evidence of their existence in the Mediterranean region more than 8000 years ago. It is not a stretch to say that, like wheat, chickpeas are one of the foundational foods of the Western world.

With the growth of vegan and other plant-based ways of eating legumes like chickpeas have had a bit of a renaissance over the last few years and what they lack in sex appeal they more than make up for in value. Chickpeas are an excellent source of protein, are very versatile, and have the added benefit (for those to whom such things matter) of being gluten free.  Add to that a relatively low cost and near ubiquitous availability and there’s nothing to wonder about their popularity.

But there is more to cooking with chickpeas than simply breaking out the can opener. While the canned and dried varieties can be roasted, sautéed, tossed in salads and stews and blended into hummus, chickpea flour presents us even further possibilities.

One of the best recipes to introduce chickpea flour is socca. At its most simple socca is an unleavened pancake make from chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and salt. But the description hardly does it sufficient credit: it’s a snack, a meal, and a blank canvass for endless culinary creativity. Its name varies depending where in the Italian/French/ Med region you’re thinking of, going by everything from farinata, cecina, to fainè. I think of it though as socca, its name in the Côte d'Azur region of France. That’s where I first tasted socca, cooked over a wood fire by the side of the street.

Now, backyard burn permits are bureaucratic and the bylaw department where I live generally frowns upon roadside bonfires, but thankfully it is possible to mostly replicate the socca experience with a bit of culinary cleverness and the vastly under-used broiler that’s included with your oven. No kidding.

Before you get started you’ll need to pick up some chickpea flour. If you have a store that stocks South Asian ingredients you’ll probably find it as “besan”, but most bulk bin stores will have it labeled as either chickpea or garbanzo flour. Pick up a small amount to try this out, but I suspect you’ll be grabbing a full bag next time.

The process for socca is simple, requiring only a little bit of patience and caution rather than skill. Get started now and you’ll have a tasty snack or a simple yet sophisticated meal in about an hour.

Hungry yet?

The Gear:

• Bowl

• Whisk

• Measuring cups

• Measuring spoons

• Cast iron/ oven safe skillet (10-12 inches)

• Thin spatula

The Ingredients:

• 1 cup chickpea flour

• 1 cup water

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (+ more to garnish)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt (+ more to garnish)

• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (+ more to garnish)

• fresh or dried herbs (rosemary, thyme, etc)

• fresh ground pepper to garnish

The Technique:

• Whisk chickpea flour, water, salt, smoked paprika, herbs, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil until smooth.

  

• Allow mixture to rest a minimum of 1 hour, and up to 12 hours (refrigerate if keeping longer than 2 hours). A few little lumps are okay - they will sort themselves out.

  

• Move 1 oven rack to the top position of your oven. Place your empty and dry pan in the oven to pre-heat along with the oven.

• Preheat oven to 450F. Open kitchen windows and/or turn on the exhaust because there might be some smoke.

• When oven reaches 450F, switch oven setting to broiler.

• Remove pan from oven (carefully!) and swirl with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.

  

• Pour chickpea batter into the pan and place on the top rack of the oven close to the broiler.

  

• Broil for 3-8 minutes, or until edges are crispy and middle is set. It won’t rise, but it may bubble up a bit. A little char? It adds character.

  

• Remove pan from oven (carefully!) and remove pancake using thin spatula. Garnish with additional olive oil, salt, paprika, and ground pepper.

  

• Slice into wedges or squares and serve immediately.

  

The crisp edges will contrast with the smooth and almost creamy centre. Lacy little crunchy bits are best pinched and consumed by the cook. The broiler and the smoked paprika give the hint of wood-fired flavour without the Girl Scout skills.

Add a salad on top or beside and you’ve got a tasty lunch. A poached egg or two and you’ve got breakfast (especially if you have some crispy pancetta or bacon). A cold glass of rosé or tart lemonade and you have an easy appetizer. A drizzle of honey instead of oil and salt and you could call it dessert. Pop it back in the oven with some pizza toppings…. it might be sacrilegious, but it will also be delicious.

Socca is the perfect solution to the cooking ho-hums because it goes well with nearly anything. It solves both the bread and protein elements of a meal and makes a tasty something out of nearly nothing. Chickpeas have been with us for a long time - one bite of socca and you’ll know exactly why.