Chickpea crepes boast flavor — and nutrition

I've always loved crepes, those elegant, paper-thin French pancakes. They're great containers for any filling and — as long as you have the proper pan — they're really a cinch to make. But let's face it, the typical flour-based crepe is pretty bland. It's a messenger, not a message. We care far less about the crepe itself than we do about what's wrapped up in it.

CONTACT

US

But what if the crepe boasted some flavor and nutrition? Enter chickpea flour. Popular throughout the Middle East and Asia, as well as along the Mediterranean, it's a good source of protein and fiber and happens to be quite tasty, almost nutty. Today's recipe is a variation on a swell little chickpea pancake that's known as socca in southern France and farinata in northern Italy.

Made with chickpea flour, water, olive oil and seasonings, socca is pretty elemental. As noted, it's delicious, but texturewise, it's sturdy, not pliable. I wanted to make a chickpea pancake that was thin enough to fold like a crepe. So I added some eggs and a tiny amount of flour.

There's a way to make gluten-free chickpea crepes, but you'll have to swap out the regular flour for cornstarch (just be sure it's gluten-free cornstarch) or gluten-free flour. If you roll with the gluten-free flour, you'll need to add an additional tablespoon or two of water to thin out the batter.

What about the filling? Anything you might want to put into a crepe or tortilla, you can put into a chickpea crepe. Here I've taken an Indian vegetarian route: Indian spices, potatoes and peas. But if you happen to be short of time, feel free to combine any leftovers you have in the refrigerator, roll them up in the crepes and heat them in a 300 F oven for about 10 minutes. Instant dinner!! (But without the empty carbs.)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "Home Cooking 101."