Author Notes: I once read an article about the socca of Nice and always thought I needed to try it someday. Preferably by visiting in person, but today I traveled there via my taste buds. Socca is two ingredients plus water and salt and pepper, how great is that, especially when it tastes so good! Anyway I hope to someday try the real thing, with iced rose wine as the internet leads me to believe is the way to enjoy it. I am offering a variation on the socca theme, but really the two-ingredient version is pretty amazing! – Sadassa_Ulna —Sadassa_Ulna
Food52 Review: This simple seasoned batter of flour and batter gives rise to a light and delicious summer brunch dish. Crisp, yet soft, the crepe-like socca acts as a canvas for many flavor possibilities and Sadassa_Ulna has certainly picked a winning combination of flavors. The sesame seeds embedded in the socca pop release their flavors resulting in a pleasant textural experience while the cilantro retains its freshness despite being cooked at high temperature. The socca cook quite quickly and so watch them closely! The brief broiling toasts the sesame seeds and adds a nutty dimension to the flavor profile. This dish needs a warning label: The socca disappear faster than you can make them! – Panfusine —Panfusine
Makes: 5-6 8" socca
Ingredients
simple socca
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1-1/2
cups [untoasted ] chickpea or garbanzo flour
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1-1/2
cups water
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1
teaspoon (+ 1/4 teaspoon) favorite ground salt
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3
tablespoons olive oil
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ground black pepper
Socca a la Sadassa
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1-1/2
cups chickpea flour
-
1-1/2
cups water
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1
teaspoon (+ 1/4 teaspoon) favorite ground salt
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2
tablespoons canola or other neutral oil mixed with:
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1
tablespoon toasted sesame oil (or oil above)
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1/4
cup untoasted sesame seeds
-
1/3
cup or so chopped cilantro
Directions
simple socca
- Mix flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and water in a bowl; cover and allow to sit for 2 – 6 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Put one (or more) cast iron skillets in the oven to get hot. Any shallow oven-proof dish should work, but one with a handle will make the job easier. Whisk 1-1/2 Tablespoons of the oil into the batter.
- Take hot pan out of oven and drizzle a teaspoon oil into the pan. Swirl to spread oil.
- Ladle some batter into the pan, enough to cover the bottom evenly but not much more. Put into the oven for 13 minutes or until edges are brown but tops are mostly pale yellow..
- Set oven to broil. Slip pan(s) under the broiler for about a minute until tops of socca take on brown spots and edges get close to black.
- Socca should pop out pretty easily; move to cutting board and cut into wedges or just break apart. Drizzle with a little more oil if desired, and finish with salt and pepper.
- Repeat from step #3. Size of pan(s) will determine how many socca you get. Batter will hold in fridge until next day, just bring to room temperature first.
Socca a la Sadassa
- Follow steps above #1 through #3 above. Whisk in 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds and 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro.
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Follow remaining steps, except when drizzling oil into pan sprinkle with sesame seeds before adding batter.
Sprinkle with additional seeds before broiling if desired. - Finish with salt and more cilantro.
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THIRD VERSION:
My first inclination was to make an Indian spiced socca. I flavored it with 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. turmeric, pinch asafetida, 1 tsp. each grated fresh ginger and garlic. Sesame seeds and cilantro too. It was really yummy but I realized I had made falafel as a crepe!
/301a1acc-0cfa-4224-8999-db3f23a8cd52--seeds_hot_pan.jpg "Socca with Sesame and Cilantro 2")
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/75a30a03-2d83-468e-811b-31a8e26591b4--batter_hot_pan.jpg "Socca with Sesame and Cilantro 3")
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/799251ef-3fe4-4d4e-a5de-3aa42959fce4--seeds_before_broil.jpg "Socca with Sesame and Cilantro 4")
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/f5814662-418b-4658-a0e5-e0775ea0b320--seeds_before_cilantro.jpg "Socca with Sesame and Cilantro 5")
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/e7cecddc-20f1-4ec6-82ef-69b2709513fa--Socca_a_la_Sadassa.jpg "Socca with Sesame and Cilantro 6")
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