Chickpea Crêpe (Monaco Socca)

Monaco socca is a popular street food. It is made with chickpea flour and often times enhanced with herbs. It reminded me of a crêpe. This one was made with a little rosemary, which was lovely. It is typically served with a light rosé wine presented in plastic cups and ice. It was delicious on its own but one can imagine all the possibilities of using this recipe as a gluten free pizza base for instance or also simply adding different herb flavours.

1 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
4-6 Tbsp. olive oil
½ large onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C/210°C fan, Gas Mark 8).

Put a well-seasoned or nonstick 12" pizza pan or cast-iron skillet in the oven to warm. (I used individual sized cast-iron skillets for a fun serving idea).

Put the chickpea flour in a bowl; add the salt and pepper. Slowly add 1 cup lukewarm water, whisking to eliminate lumps. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover and set aside for at least 30 minutes. The batter should be a nice thick consistency but still pour-able.

On the stove in another skillet pour 2 Tbsp. of oil over medium high heat. Add the onions stirring until they’re well browned, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the rosemary.

Add the onions and rosemary to the batter, then immediately pour the batter into the pans or individual skillets.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the pancake is firm and the edges set.

Heat the broiler and brush the top of the pancake with 1-2 Tbsp. of oil if it looks dry. Set the pancake a few inches away from the broiler, and cook just long enough to brown it in spots. Cut it into wedges, and serve hot or warm with a nice glass of rosé over ice.

Makes 4 servings.