Chef's Recipes

Mark Best: Chickpea pancakes

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for chickpea pancakes by Mark Best.

By Mark Best
  • 10 mins preparation
  • 1 hr cooking plus resting
  • Serves 6
  • Print
    Print
Mark Best: Chickpea pancakes
This recipe is interesting in that it is known in the Niçoise region as ‘socca’, in Tuscany as ‘cecina’ and in Sicily as ‘panelle’. All versions are made the same with slightly different ratios of chickpea flour, olive oil and water. The pancakes are a great way to mop up juices from the braised rabbit.

Ingredients

  • 250 gm chickpea flour
  • 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 120 ml olive oil
  • 1 small bunch thyme, leaves coarsely chopped

Method

Main
  • 1
    Combine flour, extra-virgin olive oil and ½ tsp each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper in a deep bowl. Slowly whisk in 750ml chilled water until a smooth batter forms. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (4 hours). Transfer to a pouring jug and set aside.
  • 2
    Preheat oven to 120C. Heat 20ml olive oil in a 15cm-diameter non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add one-sixth of batter (enough to come to a depth of 5mm) and cook until the bottom is crisp and the oil bubbles through the batter, creating a crumpet-like texture (4-6 minutes). Turn and cook until set and crisp (2-4 minutes). Transfer to an oven tray lined with absorbent paper and keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining batter and oil. Season to taste with thyme and sea salt, serve with <a href="mark-best-young-rabbit-braised-with-wakame-cashews-and-zucchini.htm">rabbit</a> and <a href="mark-best-red-rice-and-egg-pilaf.htm">pilaf</a>.

Notes

This recipe is from the September 2009 issue of .

SHAREPIN
  • undefined: Mark Best