Fresh Socca Recipe (Farinata)
Hot Fresh Socca Recipe (Farinata) a salty savory gluten free snack from the French Riviera.
Last summer I had the opportunity to travel with a friend through the french riviera… Ahem, the Cote d’Azur.
It was a marvelous once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget. The architecture, the natural coastal beauty, the cuisine, and the friendly welcome were almost too much to bear.
It was the kind of place I could stay for a long, long time, and never tire of.
One of my favorite aspects of traveling through the towns in the Cote d’Azur was visiting street markets and tasting the local flavors.
We experienced many seafood dishes, rustic vegetable dishes, and french pastries that were new to me. Yet the most unassuming snack, is the taste that left the greatest impression.
Socca, also known as Farinata along the northern Italian coastline, is a traditional street food in Nice, France. It is a simple chickpea flour flatbread, almost like a thick crepe, cut into small pieces for snacking.
Socca is naturally gluten free (and grain free) made with only chickpea flour, water, olive oil, and a little seasoning.
All over Nice you can find vendors making their fresh socca recipe in wood-burning ovens. They pour the batter onto hot greased pans and pop them in large ovens for only a few minutes to blister.
Then they cut  the Socca while it’s hot and usually wrap it in a paper cone, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.
The simple healthy snack has a rich hummus-like flavor and tender texture.
This fresh socca recipe is not crisp like crackers, but it still makes a wonderful platform for dips and toppings. You could also use it whole, as a gluten free wrap.
My kids are crazy over this fresh socca recipe. It’s a salty carby snack I feel good about serving them. Plus it’s quick and fun to make!
Fresh Socca Recipe (Farinata)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in the blender. Puree until frothy. Then allow the batter to rest for at least 2 hours, but up to 6 hours.
- Preheat the broiler to 500 degrees F. Adjust the highest oven rack to 6-7 inches below the broiler and place a large round pizza pan on the rack to heat.
- When the pan is scalding hot, carefully pull out the oven rack and spray the pan thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray. (It will sizzle and cloud a little, but it's important to do this immediately before adding the batter.)
- Pour half the batter on the pizza pan in a circular motion. Using an oven mitt, quickly jiggle the pan a little to help it spread. Then close the oven door and set the timer for 3 minutes. Check after 3 minutes, and allow the socca to broil another 2-3 minutes if need. Remove when the edges are firm and black char marks form on the surface.
- Run a large flat metal spatula under the socca and move it to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Reminds me of the cracker recipe I used to make except for all the oil in the Socca.
Can the oil quantity be reduced? I try very hard to not add much fat content to my food.
I would think it would made the Socca more cracker-like—No? Also, can other oils be used such as avocado oil?
Hi Tanya,
You should be able to reduce the oil to about 4 tablespoons, and yes, they will be crisper. If you try it, let me know how they turn out!
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Looks like such a great snack!
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This looks like a great dinner idea!! <3
Sounds like a really addicting snack!Â
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What a great recipe! Looks like such a great snack!
Looks fantastic! There shouldn’t be any problem doing this in cast iron frying pan, right? Also, made your limoncello cheesecake last weekend…unbelievably good and you definitely want it to sit overnight so flavors really get a chance to develop. Already have plans to bring it to a few different events this summer!
Hi Mrs G! So glad you liked the cheesecake! :)
You can definitely make socca in a large skillet. You may just want to pour less of the batter in at once, so it’s not too thick.
Looks delicious!
I’d love to make the Farinata but can’t seem to find the recipe. Can u sent it please?
Hi Tina, Sorry about that. Press the “Click Here For Recipe” button and you’ll find it. :)