*I've recently gotten back into Socca, so I've revived this blast from the past post (maybe four years ago...?). Hope you enjoy :)
When I told people I was going to France, pretty much everyone replied with “is there anything there you can eat”? Okay, valid question… kind of. First of all, there is more to eat in France than bread and meat. Not a lot, but plenty. While we were in Paris, my go-tos were eggs (found in almost all restaurants at all times of day), green beans, and, of course, French fries. There was also some of the best Indian food I’ve ever tasted!
Check out the tomatoes served ON the vine… so creative and fresh :)
Here we are Google Translating the entire menu…
For walking around and in the hotel, we found a little health food store with a gluten free section that would rival those of some of the biggest US grocery stores. I can’t remember the name of it right now, but if you are interested in their info just email me (sarah@abundelicious.com), and I’ll find it.
I was going to insert a whole rant here about how toxic American food sources are, how France doesn’t sell GMO food, how gluten free is taken much more seriously Europe, blah blah blah, but that’s not really my point in this post ;)
The only real issue I ran into was on the flight over. Gluten was in EVERYTHING. Thank God I had these bars with me, as well as some walnuts I had soaked, seasoned with turmeric, olive oil, and sea salt, then dehydrated.
So, Paris went just fine. Then, Nice went even better. I Googled “gluten free in Nice”, and my food world changed. SOCCA.
Socca is a traditional food on the French Riviera. The texture is like a pancake/naan/crepe hybrid made with chickpea (aka garbanzo bean) flour. It is made with no gluten (please note, I’m not making any claims that Socca is celiac safe. All my Celiac buddies know that anything is subject to contamination). That being said, my belly LOVED it.
I was so excited to get to participate in a cultural food experience without having to ask for special accommodations for my food sensitivities. I got to just show up, and enjoy the local food like anybody else J! Not to mention, after walking 8-10 miles a day, carb-y and starchy food tastes and feels so good. This isn’t always an option while traveling, but Socca hit the spot and saved the day!
I know that the proportion of liquid to flour seems outrageous, but just trust me… it’ll be fine. I like mine with olive tapenade, pesto, or as a side to salads or eggs. I’ve also enjoyed it with sweet things like hazelnut butter, raw cacao powder, hemp seeds, and berries!
Good luck trying not to eat the whole batch immediately, but if you can restrain yourself, these keep well. They’ll get a little soggy, so just pop them in the toaster!
Heads up, these are not cooked stove top like crepes and pancakes. You have to get a skillet real nice and HOT!! Be careful! Also, you have to let the batter sit for at least 45 minutes, so plan ahead.
Ingredients:
1 cup chickpea flour, sifted
3 cups water
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (for the pan)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees (yes, that hot)
Mix all ingredients (except the olive oil) together in a bowl. This will make a VERY thin liquid batter. Stay calm and don’t worry! It’s supposed to be this liquid-y.
Let this sit for 45-120 minutes at room temperature.
Pour oil into the preheated skillet/pan, then add batter.
Place skillet into oven and cook for about 10 minutes or until the batter turns brown and starts separating from sides of skillet.
Socca blooper… my sweetie trying to eat one meal without me documenting it! The Socca man in the background either finds this funny or is just as annoyed with me haha.
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Hi! My name is Sarah. I'm into clean eating, traveling (beach please), helping folks eat and feel better, birds, documentaries, gardening, and bopping around my neighborhood with my dog. Thanks for reading!
#socca #france #glutenfree #nutrition #holistic #holistichealth #wellness #mindbody #Abundelicious #travel #grainfree #Vegetarian #vegan