| Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. Nice memories My last overseas trip was in 2019, when I went to Nice. On a cobblestone street lined with old wooden folding tables, accordion music twinkling up the block and the setting sun casting long shadows, I had socca for the first time. The restaurant — really more of a hole-in-the-wall stall with tables outside — is called Lou Pilha Leva. Most of its offerings — doughy pizzas and sardine beignets, tuna sandwiches and stubby fries — were forgettable bar snacks, accompaniments for cheap but plentiful pitchers of beer. But the socca! Baked in blackened metal pans wide as a bear hug, thin discs of batter were slid into smoking hot deck ovens until the edges darkened and curled like sneering lips. These were magnificent pancakes. As soon as each one was done, a cook would quickly cut it into large slices and pile them, messy as laundry fresh from the dryer, on plates which would get carried outside to hungry patrons. To eat them, you'd pinch a still-steaming piece between your fingers and plop a bite into your mouth. Light but surprisingly filling, they needed nothing more than a sprinkle of flaky sea salt and a cold bottle of Kronenbourg 1664. There are many types of chickpea pancake, a versatile and nutritious food that's found across the globe. It can be thick and pillowy or dense as a baked potato, thin and spongy or crepe-like and crisp. My favorite might be Niçoise socca. The Niçoise are perhaps best known for their salad of tuna and vegetables in a garlicky dressing and a flatbread thick with caramelized onions and anchovies, pissaladière. But don't sleep on their socca. While making a green smoothie for myself one afternoon, I wondered what would happen if I added chickpea flour, poured the batter into puddles on a hot skillet and fried it into thin cakes. That's how this green socca was born. The batter takes minutes to make in a blender and can be pan-fried, baked or broiled. I like it fried in a generous pour of very hot olive oil. Cooked this way, its edges grow crisp and lacy and a few dark spots form on each side. Savory and filling, you could top it with a salad or poached tuna or chicken, a smear of thick yogurt or a splash of hot sauce. Here, I'm suggesting it as an accompaniment to an antipasti platter. A bottle of cold beer, a glass of crisp wine, the sound of the ocean lapping over smooth gray stones? Those would be welcome companions, too. 👉 Heads up: Next week's recipes are going to spotlight black beans. Get ready for Black Bean Week by making a big pot of black beans this weekend. Here's what I'd do: Buy a pound of dried black beans — be sure they're not too old — and cook them in 2 to 3 quarts of water (no soaking needed!) seasoned with 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, half a large onion, 4 cloves smashed garlic, 2 bay leaves and — if you like heat — a dried chile or two. After a couple of hours of simmering, you'll have around 6 cups of cooked beans. Stick the cooked beans in the fridge until Monday. We'll use almost the whole pot in a variety of dinner recipes next week. 👈  | Today's recipe |  Photos by Rey Lopez for The Washington Post; food styling by Marie Ostrosky for The Washington Post | Green Socca With AntipastiI like the addition of leafy greens in this version of the Niçoise chickpea pancakes known as socca, but if you'd rather make a classic version, substitute 1/2 cup of water for the greens. Want to save this recipe? View it on Voraciously here and click the bookmark icon below the serving size at the top of the page to add it to your Reading List. For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder. Servings: 2 to 4
Total time: 30 mins IngredientsFor the socca - 5 ounces (about 5 packed cups) spinach, kale or a mixture of herbs and dark leafy greens, roughly chopped
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking socca
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon za'atar, ground cumin, sumac, paprika or other ground chile powder (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) chickpea flour
For the accompaniments - 6 ounces salty cheese, such as manchego, pecorino Romano, Parmesan, feta or goat
- 1 (2-ounce) can anchovies or other canned seafood, drained (optional)
- 4 roasted red bell peppers from a jar, drained
- 10 to 12 small pickled peppers, any kind, drained
- 1/2 cup brined olives, any kind, drained
Steps1. Prepare the socca batter: In the pitcher of a blender, combine the greens, water, olive oil, salt and the za'atar or other spice, if using. Blend on high until smooth and very green, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender jar as needed. Add the chickpea flour and blend on high until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Set aside to rest while you prepare the antipasti. (The batter may be prepared and refrigerated up to 8 hours in advance.) 2. When you're ready to make the socca, prepare the accompaniments: Cut the cheese into wedges or break it into bite-size pieces. Rinse the outside of the can of anchovies and pry it open for serving. Halve the roasted bell peppers lengthwise and transfer to a small serving bowl. Place the small pickled peppers and olives in separate serving bowls or ramekins. Transfer all to a serving plate or platter, if desired. 3. Heat an 8- or 10-inch skillet, preferably nonstick or cast-iron, over high heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Once the oil shimmers, pour about 1/2 cup of socca batter into the pan and, using the back of a ladle or spoon, spread the batter across the bottom of the pan. Cook until the edges start to brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a large spatula, flip the socca, and cook on the other side until lightly browned, another 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil as needed, to make 4 soccas. 4. Serve soccas hot, family style, with the accompaniments on the side. Tested by Alexis Sargent. Nutrition information per serving (socca only; based on 4): Calories: 205; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 358 mg; Carbohydrates: 22 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugars: 4 g; Protein: 9 g.  | Dessert | 🎧 "The Anxiety You're Feeling? It's a Habit You Can Unlearn" on the Ezra Klein Show.
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🗣 Happy birthday to my friend Julia Bainbridge, author of "Good Drinks: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You're Not Drinking for Any Reason." (Also, happy birthday to the great Nigella Lawson!) |
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