Chickpea Socca
Chickpea Socca, also known as farinata or chickpea pancake, is one of the easiest dishes you'll ever encounter. It's a thick pancake made with chickpea flour, water, salt, oil, and whatever seasonings you want to flavor it with. The most difficult part of making the socca is taking the time to allow the chickpea flour to fully hydrate. Pro tip: Turn the oven on to preheat before you mix the socca, and let your oven come to cooking temperature along with the baking pan the socca will cook in, while the flour hydrates.
And yes, preheating the pan is important, because it helps form the solid crust along the bottom of the socca which will prevent it from sticking to your pan. Cast iron or stainless steel pans are the best options for the success of this dish. Don't choose a non-stick pan even if it's got an oven-safe handle; the high heat can degrade the non-stick coating and damage both your pan and your food.
We chose to make a basic socca here, but you can serve it topped with bruschetta-style tomatoes, baba ghanoush and a sprinkle of za'atar, pulled turkey or pork, or even baked with halloumi and dotted with fig jam. The possibilities are wide open. This pancake, without the toppings, will keep nicely in a refrigerator for a up to a week.
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Cracked Rosemary
1/2 teaspoon Dried Parsley
1 Tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing
1. Preheat oven to 475°F. Place a 10-inch cast iron pan or other oven-safe pan in the oven so it can preheat as well.
2. Put chickpea flour and water in a large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined, then whisk in Fine Sea Salt, Cracked Rosemary, Dried Parsley, and 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Set aside for 30 minutes to allow flour to hydrate.
3. Once flour is hydrated, carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Brush some olive oil along the sides and bottom of the pan. Stir socca dough once or twice to make sure all ingredients are fully incorporated, and pour into the hot pan. It should sizzle and you may see the sides start to set almost immediately. Return the pan to the oven.
4. Bake socca for 15 minutes, then take it from the oven and brush some more olive oil over the top. If you plan to use a topping that you want to heat up, place it on the socca now. Return it to the oven and let it bake for another 5-10 minutes. Don’t underbake this! You want a nice firm crust that pulls right out of the pan.
5. When it is ready, remove socca from the heat. Put the pan on a cooling rack and let it cool for about 5 minutes, then take the socca out of the pan. It should lift up easily. Carefully set the pan aside since it will still be extremely hot. Cut socca into 8 pieces, add any cold toppings of your choosing, and serve.