Pizzas, flatbreads, hot sandwiches, and quesadillas all have something in common, they serve as a base for a variety of ingredients to create a delicious satisfying meal. Another option that also creates a delicious savory base for a variety of ingredients is a socca flatbread made with garbanzo bean flour.
Making flour from garbanzo beans shows the ingenuity of the people of the Mediterranean region where socca originated. Not only did socca make good use of a readily available staple it offered a creative way to incorporate a fiber rich food that could be enjoyed as a snack with some added seasoning.
Socca was traditionally made in a skillet and cooked over hot coals in market stalls. The high heat cooked the thin socca flatbread quickly creating a desirable crisp edge, and all that was needed was a final garnish of flaky sea salt, a drizzle of olive oil and some seasoning to create a delicious snack.
A cast iron skillet or griddle pan is ideal for making socca, and to achieve the best results the pan is best heated in the oven before the batter is added. Of course you can also cook the socca on the cooktop or over hot coals, but since my focus is helping you make the best use of your convection oven I will focus on the oven method.
The ideal mode in an electric Convection oven to bake socca is the Convection Bake mode. In this mode the heat is generated from the top and bottom heating elements and the convection fan circulates the heat for even cooking. Gas ovens have a strong lively heat that creates a natural convection and are ideal for high heat baking of breads, pizzas and flatbreads, so the traditional Bake mode will provide excellent results.
In this recipe the oven mode is changed to Broil for the final 3 - 5 minutes of cooking, so before heating the oven, organize the oven racks so that you have a rack in the upper third of the oven closer to the Broil element.
Remember when broiling in the oven, the oven door should always be closed, not propped open. If your oven has an electric broil element with a default setting of High, Medium and Low choose the High setting; if your oven prompts you to select a temperature then select 450 degrees. Many gas ovens have an infra-red broiler which gives amazing results but err on the side of caution in terms of timing to avoid burning the socca.
Paying attention to how your oven cooks will help you achieve good results with all your cooking but is especially important when cooking with high oven temperatures.
Toppings to Add to Socca flatbread for Delicious Snacks and Light Meals
As with every blank canvas, socca allows you to create the masterpiece that you desire. Socca originated in the Mediterranean regions so it blends well with the seasonings used in the cuisines of the regions. However, I also enjoyed a chickpea flatbread with kimchi folded into the batter that was quite delicious.
Other options to enhance a socca flatbread include, chopped rosemary, garlic or onions or just a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt which is perfect when you are serving socca as a snack. A well balanced fruity olive oil combines well with the flavor of the chickpeas and salt.
For a more substantial meal, vegetables can be added into the batter or sauteed and served over the socca when it is baked. In this recipe I served the socca with a salad of mixed greens with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese reminiscent of a wonderful meal I enjoyed on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Socca is a simple versatile recipe that is easy to prepare. Just remember that the batter needs to rest for at least 30 minutes before baking so planning is key. If you are a fan of chicken wings and want to learn how to cook them so they are crisp on the outside but still juicy and tender then check out my next post to learn how.
Larissa, Your Convection Enthusiast
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