SOCCA
4 servings
Nothing embodies the spirit of Nice and the Côte d’Azur quite like socca – the chickpea pancake found from Provence to Liguria in Italy where its known as Farinata is classic street food. It is a simple batter of chickpea flour, water, good olive oil and salt though there as many additions and variations as those who make it. Here’s my version in which black pepper and cumin take a leading flavor roll. Make the batter at least half an hour ahead (and up to 8) for the flour to fully hydrate if you can. I love it topped with a cherry tomato salsa and a sprinkling of freshly grated Pecorino. Any soft cheese and fresh herbs are delicious.
1 cup chickpea flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon, at least, ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 to 6 tablespoons good olive oil
Cherry tomato salsa (recipe follows)
Fresh grated pecorino cheese
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 10-inch pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in oven. Sift chickpea flour into a bowl and stir in salt, pepper, and cumin. Slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in green onions and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Batter should be about the consistency of heavy cream.
Pour 2 tablespoons oil into heated pan, and swirl to cover pan evenly. Pour in batter, and bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until pancake is firm and edges set. Heat broiler, and brush top of socca with 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil if it looks dry. Set socca a few inches away from broiler for a couple of minutes, just long enough to brown it in spots. Cut it into wedges and serve warm topped with the cherry tomato salsa and freshly grated pecorino cheese.
Cherry tomato salsa
6 ounces (1 generous cup) cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup pitted and halved green olives such as Cerignola or Castelvetrano
2 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Mix tomatoes, olives, and olive oil together. Season to your taste with salt and pepper and drops of soy sauce. Stir in basil just before serving.
SPAGHETTI MARCO POLO
This is a mash-up of Julia Child’s original Spaghetti Marco Polo along with some additions via Arthur Schwartz’s “Garbage Pail Pasta”. Arthur was a long-time radio personality on WOR in New York City, author of several cookbooks and has a great blog called “The Food Maven”. In the latter Arthur took inspiration from a Neapolitan restaurant which was founded by brother midgets known as I Corti (“the little people” in Italian). The typical Neapolitan condiments of capers and raisins are added to the Julia version.
1-1/4 cups chopped walnuts
2/3 cup chopped black olives such as Cerignola
2/3 cup chopped roasted and peeled red pepper
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped chives
¼ cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons capers
2/3 cup small cherry tomatoes, whole or cut as you please
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Mix the first 8 ingredients together with a little olive oil in a bowl and set aside. Season well with salt and pepper. Spoon walnut mixture over cooked spaghetti and toss. Top with cheese and serve.
LEMON CURD
Makes about 3 cups
This is a classic filling for tarts, sandwich cookies, lemon meringue pie, a great topping for fresh fruit and also to spread on biscuits, crumpets and just about anywhere! I’ve added a little cornstarch here which acts as “insurance” from overcooking and curdling the eggs. Use this same recipe to make lime or grapefruit curd.
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch softened in 1 tablespoon water (optional)
4 whole eggs
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut in small bits
Using a microplane, grate the zest and set aside. Place an inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler or similar vessel and bring to a simmer. Whisk next six ingredients together and strain. Place mixture in a stainless-steel bowl over (not touching) simmering water and stir in zest. With a rubber spatula (preferably) or a whisk, stir constantly until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to over cook or eggs can scramble. Off heat, whisk in butter and then place in sterilized jars. Cover and store refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
John Ash© 2022