In an effort to cut down on “traditional” carbs like wheat flour breads, rice and potatoes, I’ve been scouring the Internet for recipes which contain none of those ingredients. One can only have so much quinoa, after all. When I was looking up recipes for chickpea flour, I came across socca, a flatbread from the southern part of France. It’s fairly easy to make, and can be made stove top or in an oven. I decided to try a recipe I found online, first plain, as an accompaniment to a meal, and then again a few weeks later when I had leftover char siu (Chinese barbecued pork). This recipe is for the latter.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups of shredded char siu (or barbecue chicken)
- 1 small chopped onion
- 1 cup of chickpea flour
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon each of dried herbs such as basil and orgeano
- 1/4 cup of shredded cheese (I used a bit of Parmesan here)
Directions:
- In a large bowl, mix together the water, flour, oil and herbs. Let sit for 30 to 90 minutes
- Preheat oven to 375 F and heat a greased, round baking pan/pie dish for 10 minutes
- While the dish is heated, mix the onions and meat in with the batter
- After dish is heated pour batter with pork and onions in. Top with cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until batter sets.
- (Optional): If you want a browner top, pop the bread into the broiler for 3-5 minutes
Slice into pieces and serve. The above recipe will serve three to four people as a main dish or between six and eight as an appetizer. When I made it, I halved the recipe as there were only two of us. Tempeh might work for a vegetarian version (have not tried it yet). Try adding salsa, guacamole or chipotle mayo as a sauce/dip/spread.
