I’m not quite sure whether this would qualify as a flatbread or a sort of savoury crepe, but I’m going to leave it as a flatbread so as not to confuse people who might mistakenly cook this up for brunch and smother it in maple syrup. Socca is originally Italian, and there, it is made in the oven, though I’ll show you two ways to make it.

I’ve been jumping on chickpea flatbread recipes ever since I mistakenly bought about 10 kilos of chickpea flour thinking that I could somehow fashion gluten-free treats out of it. Harri sent me a recipe for socca last week, and I started thinking how I could alter this in my own little way to make it a great accompaniment for curry or chili…and I do like to add spinach to everything.

You’ll need:
(Makes 2 large flatbreads / pancakes)
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup fresh spinach, chopped into very small pieces

Method:
Whisk everything together in a bowl and allow to stand for 15 minutes
There are 2 different ways to make this, and I’ll tell you both
1) Heat your grill / broiler and set a little oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan
When the pan is super hot, pour half the mixture into it and set it under the grill / broiler
Allow to cook for 5 minutes, and bring it out when it looks cooked on top
Repeat for the second half of the mixture
2) Heat a little oil in a pan on the stove
Pour half the mixture into it and turn to coat the whole bottom of the pan, like you would with a crepe
Cook for 5 minutes, flipping half way
Repeat for the second half of the mixture

I like to cool the socca then cut it into squares and serve in a bowl. It’s a great dish for when friends are over and you’re having a tapas-style dinner.

This is gluten-free, so your coeliac friends can fill their boots, and it’s easy to make and cheap too, so you can easily make loads! The spinach brings a nice dose of iron and calcium and makes the bread slightly more interesting. Serve with any soup, sauce, curry or anything vaguely wet!