SOCCA AND SALSA

WE MUST warn you: these chickpea flour flatbreads – called socca or farinata – are addictive! You can leave them plain, just seasoned with salt and pepper, or jazz them up with lots of herbs and caramelised onions as here.

SERVES 4 262 calories per serving Prep: 15 minutes. Cooking time: about 30 minutes.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and 2 red onions, sliced into thin wedges. Fry them over a medium heat for at least 10 minutes until they have softened and started to caramelise. Set aside. Put 150g chickpea (gram) flour in a bowl with a generous pinch of salt and whisk to remove any lumps. Gradually pour in 250ml of water and continue to whisk until you have a smooth batter with the consistency of thick double cream. Stir a tablespoon of olive oil and whisk to emulsify. Set the batter aside.

To make the salsa, mix in a large bowl 4 tomatoes cored and diced, ½ small red onion finely chopped, 1 small red chilli finely chopped, 1 tsp rosemary finely chopped, zest of ½ lemon, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp olive oil and small bunch of basil finely chopped. Season well with salt and pepper.

You can make 2 large socca in a 25cm non-stick pan, or 4 in a smaller pan. If making 2 large socca, heat the pan and spritz with low-cal oil spray or pour a few drops of oil into the pan and rub it over the base with kitchen paper. Pour half the batter into the pan and swirl to cover the base. Sprinkle over half the onions and half the rosemary, then cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until browned and crisping round the edges.

Flip the socca over to cook the other side or put the pan under a medium grill to finish the cooking. Transfer it to a board or a large plate and repeat. If you are cooking 4 socca, split the batter into 4 and proceed as above, using a quarter of the onions and rosemary each time. Cut the socca into wedges or serve whole with the salsa.