5 Ingredients or Fewer

Socca with Sesame and Cilantro

by:
June  5, 2011
5
2 Ratings
Socca with Sesame and Cilantro
  • Makes 5-6 8" socca
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

Test Kitchen Notes

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

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • simple socca
  • 1-1/2 cups [untoasted ] chickpea or garbanzo flour
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon (+ 1/4 teaspoon) favorite ground salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ground black pepper
  • Socca a la Sadassa
  • 1-1/2 cups chickpea flour
  • 1-1/2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon (+ 1/4 teaspoon) favorite ground salt
  • 2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil mixed with:
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (or oil above)
  • 1/4 cup untoasted sesame seeds
  • 1/3 cup or so chopped cilantro
Directions
  1. simple socca
  2. Mix flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and water in a bowl; cover and allow to sit for 2 - 6 hours.
  3. 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.
  4. Take hot pan out of oven and drizzle a teaspoon oil into the pan. Swirl to spread oil.
  5. 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..
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  1. Socca a la Sadassa
  2. Follow steps above #1 through #3 above. Whisk in 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds and 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro.
  3. Follow remaining steps, except when drizzling oil into pan sprinkle with sesame seeds before adding batter. Sprinkle with additional seeds before broiling if desired.
  4. Finish with salt and more cilantro.
  5. 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!
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  • Panfusine
    Panfusine
  • Sadassa_Ulna
    Sadassa_Ulna
  • susan g
    susan g
Sadassa_Ulna

Recipe by: Sadassa_Ulna

Growing up I was the world's pickiest eater, that is, until my children were born. Karma. Neither of my parents were much into cooking; it was the height of eating fat-free or anything with oat bran added. I taught myself some basics, mostly baking, following the guidelines of a well-worn copy of Joy of Cooking. I was a ballet dancer and a teacher suggested I lose weight. As I began reading about diet and nutrition I became interested in natural foods, which led to a job at a macrobiotic natural foods market in Center City Philadelphia; this was way before Whole Foods came to the area. I learned a lot about food in general. I ate strictly vegan for a while, although I don't now, but I still like it when a recipe can taste great without butter or bacon! In short, my approach to cooking is idiosyncratic, and I don't know very much about cooking meat or proper technique. I love to bake and I am still working on expanding my palate and my repertoire. The hardest part is getting the whole family to try new things! So aside from my food status, I am an architect who likes to garden and play music. I'm married with two kids, and I hope to get a dog someday.

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10 Reviews

Panfusine
Panfusine June 30, 2011
I meant to say 'batter of flour and water' in the first sentence. The error of using the word batter twice is all mine.. Sorry about that.
 
Sadassa_Ulna
Sadassa_Ulna June 5, 2011
It just rests on the counter (if you want to let it sit longer like overnight then keep it covered in the fridge, and bring back to room temp before baking). The consistency should be like a thin pancake batter. I don't think the consistency changes too much from sitting, it might get slightly thinner (and then thicker after adding the oil). I think its pretty forgiving because if the batter is on the thin side then it pulls away (shrinks) from the sides of the pan more when it bakes. A thicker batter means the socca will be a little chewier and it won't shrink as much. Some recipes have a little more water per flour then the one I posted.
 
Sadassa_Ulna
Sadassa_Ulna June 7, 2011
I posted some pics of the process if that helps, please do let me know if you try it and if it works for you!
 
Panfusine
Panfusine June 5, 2011
I've always wanted to make this ever since I got hooked on them in Nice!!, Thank you, thank you
 
Sadassa_Ulna
Sadassa_Ulna June 5, 2011
You're welcome and thank you - I hope to try them on the streets of Nice some day!
 
Panfusine
Panfusine June 23, 2011
Heheh!! Snagged it in the EP picks Congratulations.. looking fwd to making this!
 
Sadassa_Ulna
Sadassa_Ulna June 23, 2011
Thank you for selecting my recipe to try! I am so excited this is my first E.P. nomination! I really hope you like my spin and I'd love to hear if you add your own version, your recipes are always tremendously appealing. Thanks Panfusine!
 
susan G.
susan G. June 5, 2011
I've been looking for the 'right' socca --this moves to the top of the to-try list, and I love the versions.
 
susan G.
susan G. June 5, 2011
I think it's the resting step that was the reason my previous attempt was unsatisfactory -- the magic of passive chemistry.
 
Sadassa_Ulna
Sadassa_Ulna June 5, 2011
Thank you susan g! I looked at several recipes online and some say 2 hour minimum. I kind of intuitively thought that uncooked beans [as flour] could benefit from a long soak, so I went the 6 hour route. I made more the next day and the 24 hour soak did no harm!