A Gluten Free Easy Flatbread is Just the Thing

Chickpea Socca topped with Sunshine

Hello friends,

I’ve had a lifelong love of crepes. In the wild days of my childhood (the 1900’s as my children say) my mother made those much less well-known skinny francophile pancakes every Christmas morning, usually with brown sugar and sour cream mixed and cherries, or whipped cream and strawberries. I looked forward to them all year long.

No, you aren’t confused, the recipe I bring today is NOT crepes but socca. which honestly is not too far off. It’s one of a wide array of variations of thin pancake-like foods that includes everything from dosa to injera. Socca is a naturally gluten free dish that is found in the sunny Mediterranean areas like Nice or Liguria.

I’d argue Socca, topped with anything your heart desires should become the next fad. I’m not alone in that, even

The Bittman Project

thinks Socca is an addiction!

This recipe has you mix up a very simple thin chickpea flour batter - no grains here friend, and bean-powered protein. The best way to achieve the texture with bubbles on top and a little crispness is to use a broiler-safe saute pan (like cast iron) and slide the thin batter under the broiler for a few minutes. Stay close - broilers are all finicky and wait for no one.

I love this as a simple lunch with a salad topped like a pizza, wrapped around cheese and veggies, and cut into pinwheels, or topped with pesto and creamy cheese as I experienced in Liguria. On this day I opened a jar of zacusca, the Romanian vegetable spread that my husband grew up with - we always have some around, and I’ve included the recipe for you below.

Feel free to mix the batter ahead and let it wait in the fridge for you, a little prep in the morning will yield a fast and delicious dinner in the end! I’d love to know, what quick fallback dinners do you like to make?

Happy baking,

Rachel

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Socca (Chickpea Flatbread)

1 cup (130g) chickpea flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (280ml) water
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 Tb plus olive oil (plus 1 tsp for the pan)

Optional toppings: zaatar, flaky salt, pepper, olive oil, pesto, herbs, cheeses

Mix the flour, water, salt, paprika, and 2 Tb olive oil. Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes, covered, at room temperature. Heat the broiler in your oven. Heat a broiler-safe pan in the oven.

Once the pan and the oven are blazing hot, pour in the remaining olive oil and swirl it around.  Then enough batter into the pan to cover the bottom, swirl it around, then back in the oven.

Bake this until the socca is firm and beginning to blister 5 to 8 minutes depending on how hot your broiler is.

Slide the socca out of the pan onto a cutting board, and slice into pieces.  Top with optional toppings as desired and serve!

Zacusca (Za-koo-ska)

This vegetable spread feels like sunshine, and not only makes a great party dish, but a wonderful quickie vegetarian meal over pasta or rice.
Makes 2 ¼ cups

1 large fresh  eggplant (or one 15oz can of pre-roasted eggplant, which does by the way exist)
2 large red bell peppers (or one 8 oz jar of roasted red peppers rinsed!)
1 large yellow onion
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large fresh tomatoes or 30 oz canned tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil

If using a fresh eggplant pierce several times with a fork and roast on a sheet pan in a 450-degree oven until completely soft (like a giant raisin) about 25-35 minutes.   At the same time roast the peppers by cutting them in half, removing the seeds and ribs, and coating them with oil.  Put them on a sheet pan and roast until skins are blackened about 30 minutes.  Immediately peel the skins off of the peppers and eggplant.

While the eggplants and peppers are roasting dice the onion.  Place oil and diced onion into a large heavy pot.  Saute onions for about 4 minutes over medium-low heat.  Add eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Cook for 20 minutes until it becomes a thick paste.  Mash with a potato masher, or immersion blender, or you could always throw it in the food processor.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.  You can freeze or can this for later or enjoy it right away as a spread on bread, pita, or crackers.