Socca (or farinata) with prawns, chickpeas and peppers

Socca (or farinata) with prawns, chickpeas and peppers

Debora Robertson shares her easy recipe for the Provençal chickpea flatbread, socca, This popular street-food snack is known as farinata in Italy, and can be enjoyed on its own or as a base for all sorts of toppings. How about juicy prawns, chickpeas and peppers?

Socca (or farinata) with prawns, chickpeas and peppers

Debora says: “Here I make one large socca, but you can make smaller, individual ones like American pancakes if you want – just reduce the cooking time a little.”

  • Serves icon Serves 4-6 as a starter
  • Time icon Hands-on time 25 min, plus 30 min resting

Debora Robertson shares her easy recipe for the Provençal chickpea flatbread, socca, This popular street-food snack is known as farinata in Italy, and can be enjoyed on its own or as a base for all sorts of toppings. How about juicy prawns, chickpeas and peppers?

Debora says: “Here I make one large socca, but you can make smaller, individual ones like American pancakes if you want – just reduce the cooking time a little.”

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
325kcals
Fat
19g (2.2g saturated)
Protein
14g
Carbohydrates
21g (2.3g sugars)
Fibre
5g
Salt
1.6g

Ingredients

For the socca

  • 200g chickpea (gram) flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to fry and drizzle

For the dressing

  • 3 tbsp mayonnaise
  • Finely grated zest 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cumin

For the prawn topping

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
  • 200g raw peeled prawns
  • Juice ½ lemon
  • ¼ tsp chilli flakes, plus extra to sprinkle
  • 80g cooked chickpeas (drained weight)
  • 80g roasted red peppers from a jar (drained weight), cut into strips
  • Small bunch parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp capers
  • Lemon wedges to serve
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Method

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour and salt, then whisk in 400ml water and the olive oil until smooth. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes (see Know How).
  2. Meanwhile, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl with a pinch of salt.
  3. For the prawns, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant (be careful not to let it burn). Toss in the prawns and fry, rattling the pan occasionally, until opaque and cooked through. Trickle over the lemon juice, add the chilli flakes, then tip into a bowl and mix with the chickpeas, peppers, parsley and capers. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then set aside.
  4. Heat the grill to high and put 2 tsp olive oil in a large grillproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour it into the pan, swirling to cover. Let it sit until bubbles appear and the surface looks solid. Put the pan under the grill for 4-5 minutes until the top is cooked through and slightly blistered – but keep an eye on it.
  5. Slide a palette knife around the edge of the socca to loosen it, then slide it out onto a plate. Trickle on a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heap the prawn mixture over the top, dot on some of the dressing, sprinkle on some chilli flakes and serve immediately, cut into slices, with wedges of lemon to squeeze over the top.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
325kcals
Fat
19g (2.2g saturated)
Protein
14g
Carbohydrates
21g (2.3g sugars)
Fibre
5g
Salt
1.6g

delicious. tips

  1. Resting batter lets the flour fully hydrate, giving a smoother, lighter texture. If you can, do this with all batters – half an hour is great, but up to 24 hours gives the best results. Give rested batter a quick whisk before using, as it will separate a little.

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