Socca

By Mark Bittman

Updated June 20, 2024

Socca
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(1,541)
Comments
Read comments

This is essentially a large chickpea pancake from Provence (and neighboring Liguria, where it’s called farinata). It’s traditionally cooked in wood ovens on copper disks, roughly cut and served hot or warm. (In the main market in Nice, it’s baked a few hundred yards away and delivered by bicycle, to be wrapped in paper and eaten on the street.) If you have no wood or copper, that’s no problem. They’re nearly as great in a skillet or in a pizza pan in your oven, and totally foolproof.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 appetizer servings
  • 1cup chickpea flour
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • 1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 to 6tablespoons olive oil
  • ½large onion, thinly sliced
  • 2teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

165 calories; 12 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 92 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    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.)

  2. Step 2

    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.

  3. Step 3

    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.

  4. Step 4

    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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,541 user ratings
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Comments

Sharon

I've made this recipe a lot and it's a great dish. I especially appreciate being able to serve this to my (unreasonably large number of) gluten-free friends. I've found that it has a nicer texture if I skip the baking stage. I cook it on top of the stove until it is browned on the bottom, then directly to the broiler. Center stays moist and the bottom is a little crispy/chewy. I use way more onion than called for and caramelize them for a long time. Copious olive oil, sprinkle of cheese.

Jim

1 cup of water needs to be in the ingredient list.

Bill

I've made this for years. I don't add onions (never saw them when I had it in France), and after cooking, I sprinkle the top with chopped Rosemary, coarse ground black pepper, and a few drops of good Olive Oil. Excellent snack with a good Rose'.

Sidnee

Can I make the “pancakes” a day in advance, saving the broiler step for shortly before serving?

Lee

I had a version of chickpea flatbread in Argentina, where it's called fainá.

Grace

I make a single serve portion using 1T each chickpea flour, olive oil, water & egg white, seasoned with garlic powder, Za’atar, Aleppo pepper& salt in 6” cast iron skillet. Cook it on stovetop like a regular pancake for a quick, easy & high-protein breakfast. Top with greek yogurt + just about anything

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