Socca, also known as Farinata, is a thin un-leavened pancake of chick pea flour originating as street food from the south of France. When cooked under the broiler in a cast iron skillet it makes a nutritious gluten-free pizza crust! I have topped this variation with a mixture of roasted cauliflower, carrot, and celery tossed in Franks Red Hot Sauce. A creamy cashew ranch dressing cools the heat and balances the acidity. Variations are limitless! Just remember to make the batter 4 hours before you use it. This gives it time to thicken. I often double the recipe as it stores well in the fridge for a few days.
You can buy chickpea flour at most natural foods stores however, it is really easy to make it yourself in a Vitamix or Blend Tech Blender. Simply grind whole uncooked dried chickpeas to a powder. To make it more nutritious and bio-available, I soak my chickpeas overnight to sprout them and then dehydrate them for 10-12 hours before grinding to a flour. Either way, this flour is loaded with fibre, antioxidants, protein, and minerals and may help in the prevention of colon cancer.
Socca:
makes four 8 in. flat breads
- 1 cup of chickpea flour
- 1 cup of water
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 21/2 tbsp. olive oil
- fresh cracked pepper
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. Cover with a tea towel and let sit for at least 4 hours.
Cashew Ranch Dressing:
- 1 cup of raw cashews soaked in water for at least one hour, drained
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 11/2tsp. himalayan pink salt
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- lots of fresh cracked pepper
Blend the drained cashews, cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, mustard and water on high until silky smooth. Spoon into a mason jar and add the dried oregano, basil, and pepper. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. It will thicken slightly as it cools.
Buffalo Cauliflower:
Buffalo Sauce:
- 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce or your favourite variation
- 1 tbsp. coconut oil
Heat the hot sauce and coconut oil in a small saucepan to combine. Set aside.
pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- 1 large head of organic cauliflower broken into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 large carrot or 2 small, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. himalayan pink salt
Garnish:
- chopped Italian parsley
- 2 green onions, chopped
- chopped cucumber
Combine cauliflower, yellow onion, celery, and carrot in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and salt, tossing well to coat. Place the oiled veggies on a cookie sheet and roast in your oven for about 30 min. Toss a few times throughout. Cauliflower should be tender and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and toss with the hot sauce mixture. Set aside while you prepare the socca. Turn the oven to Broil.
To Make the Socca:
Adjust the top rack in your oven so that it is about 8 inches from the broiler. Oil your cast iron fry pan or crepe pan lightly and place on the top rack in the oven to heat. Remove the hot pan from the oven and add about 1/2 cup of the socca batter, swirling it around to form roughly an 8 in. circle. Place it back on the top rack with the oven door closed and let it cook for 5-8 min. There is no need to flip it. It will cook right through and should be nice and crisp on the edges but soft throughout. Remove the pan from the oven and slide the socca onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.
When the socca are all made you can turn the heat down in the oven to 425 F. to re-warm the buffalo cauliflower if necessary. Otherwise distribute it evenly onto the cooked socca. Drizzle with plenty of cashew ranch sauce, lots of chopped fresh parsley, green onion and chopped cucumber!