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–+ servings

Socca With Creamy Pesto

Ruth Gangbar
A popular street food in southern France and Italy, socca are crisp chickpea pancakes. Although they’re often served plain, grilled veggies and meats on top turn socca into a substantial, savoury breakfast.
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Course Breakfast
Cuisine French, Italian
Servings 5 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups chickpea flour
  • 1 ½ cups water room temperature
  • 3 tbsp olive oil plus more for the pan
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 150 g Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs cheese (or other seasoned cream cheese) room temperature
  • 200 g bocconcini cheese sliced
  • ⅓ cup pesto
  • 3-4 cups topping ingredients, such as blanched rapini, broccolini, asparagus, grilled chicken, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped sundried tomatoes, and sliced green onion or anything your heart desires!

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl, whisk together chickpea flour and water until smooth; add olive oil and salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to overnight in fridge. (Bring to room temperature before using.)
  • Preheat grill to medium, with a 9" or a 10" cast iron skillet on the grate. To a preheated grill basket, add topping ingredients; cook until charred and tender, about 3 minutes. Remove toppings, chop coarsely, and set aside.
  • When the skillet is smoking hot, add about 1 tbsp oil to the bottom. Swirl hot pan to coat sides. Ladle about 1 cup batter into pan, swirling and adding more batter as needed for a generous quarter-inch layer.
  • Cook, lid closed, until centre of socca is firm and the edges start to brown, about 5–8 minutes. To prevent socca from sticking, run a spatula around the edge and underneath to release.
  • Add dollops of garlic herb cheese and bocconcini slices on top. Cook, lid closed, until cheese is softened, about 3 minutes. Add pesto and toppings. Continue cooking, lid closed, until toppings warm through, about 5 minutes (reducing heat as necessary to prevent burning).
  • Cut into quarters; remove pieces from skillet to a platter. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
  • Tip: Look for chickpea flour, also called besan, in the gluten-free section of supermarkets and in South Asian grocery stores.
Keyword Barbecue, breakfast, brunch
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