Niçoise Socca with Olives, Peppers and Anchovies
Socca, tasty crepes made from chickpea flour, are a Provençal street food, cooked quickly on a sizzling griddle and eaten on the go. This version, which browns under the broiler, is something between a sturdy crêpe and a soft flatbread. The chickpea flour gives it a tender, almost custardlike texture. Serve it warm from the oven as a light lunch or an appetizer.
Ingredients:
- 1 2/3 cups chickpea flour
- 2 cups water
- 3 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 12 niçoise olives, pitted
- 1/4 cup roasted red bell pepper strips
- 8 to 12 anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, the 3 Tbs. olive oil and the salt until smooth. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Put a heavy-duty 10-by-16-inch rimmed baking sheet or jellyroll pan in an oven and preheat to 500°F.
Remove the pan from the oven and carefully grease with olive oil. Working quickly, pour the batter into the pan, tilting the pan if necessary to evenly cover it with batter. Arrange the olives, bell pepper strips and anchovy fillets evenly over the surface of the batter.
Switch the oven setting to broil and place the pan under the broiler about 5 inches from the heat source. Cook until the batter is set and browned to lightly charred in spots, about 3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the broiler and run a wide spatula under the crepe to release it from the pan. Slide the crepe onto a cutting board. Sprinkle with pepper, cut into squares and serve immediately. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Eat Well, by Charity Ferreira (Oxmoor House, 2008).
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$24.95
