Project Description

Socca Pancakes

Full Recipe in Details

This week’s recipe idea are delicious gluten free Socca Pancakes – These Gluten free chickpea flour pancakes are one of the favoured street foods in Nice. Their nutty taste is perfect combined with Salmon, Ricotta or goats cheese (as in the recipe below) or enjoy them on their own as a snack with some rosemary, olive oil and salt. They are also good topped with a mix of Roasted Tomato, Mushrooms, Cabbage and Artichoke. A glass of crisp white wine also complements the nuttiness perfectly, while you reminisce about the good things in life!

Local Wimmera Chickpea flour and other great pulses are on the local list this week.

Socca (Chickpea Flour Pancakes)  with Spinach, Ricotta and Olives

INGREDIENTS
  • 250 g of baby spinach leaves, wilted then chopped

  • 250 g ricotta, drained (or a nice soft cream or goats cheese)

  • 40 g parmesan, grated

  • 1 free range egg, beaten

  • 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

  • 1 x 180 g ball of mozzarella, drained and torn

  • Optional: 2 anchovies, finely chopped (these add a nice savoury note, that’s also very reminiscent of the south of France)

  • Top with smoked Salmon instead of the tomato sauce for an extra special dish

OWN FRESH TOMATO SAUCE MAKING
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 to 3 Spring onion, finely diced

  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes

  • Optional- sugar, to balance the sauce

THE SOCCA
  • 350 grams of chickpea flour

  • 800 ml of luke warm water

  • 125 ml of olive oil

  • 2 tsp finely diced fresh rosemary

  • Salt, to taste, this is to balance any bitterness in the chickpea flour

  • Optional; teaspoon of ground cumin, to add a slightly smoky flavour

  • To serve: green or black olives

GUIDE / INSTRUCTIONS
  • At least 30 minutes prior to making the pancakes mix the batter. Combine the chickpea flour with the olive oil, whisking together. Whisk in the water and rosemary and leave to sit for half an hour, or a few hours. 

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/ 392 F. Make the sauce by sautéing the garlic and onion in the olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until thickened slightly. 

  • Taste the sauce and add a tsp or two of sugar if it’s a little acidic (it will depend on the quality of your chopped tomatoes). Combine the wilted spinach with the cheese, egg, grated parmesan, chilli flakes and chopped anchovy (if using) until you have a smooth mix.

  • Place a non-stick pan over a medium heat. Pour in just enough batter to coat the bottom and swirl around. When the edges start to crisp use a spatula to pull them down towards the centre to loosen. 

  • Cook until you can easily lift the crepe from the bottom of the pan. Gently flip and brown the other side. Slide the crepe onto a plate and repeat until all the mixture is finished. Place three tablespoons of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, to help prevent the crepes from sticking.

  • Place two – three tablespoons of mixture down the centre of the  crepes and roll up and nestle across the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining crepes and mixture. Top the crepes with a stripe of the tomato sauce and dot with the torn mozzarella.

  • Bake for 20 -30 minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbling. Serve with green or black olives and a dressed green salad.

NOTES

Have a great week ahead and happy local food eating!

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