Welcoming Asparagus Season with an Asparagus Socca
Reclaiming lunch as a leisure activity
Welcome to Still Life with Lemon.
I am currently working on a full index of all my recipes, in the meantime here are some more Spring Recipes you might enjoy:
If I could keep just one meal it would be lunch. I love lunches, especially the kind that are long and include flowers on the table and a glass or two of cold wine. I love to make lunch for myself, when the kids are at school and the house is freshly cleaned and I am alone. It is bliss.
It is easy to overlook a good lunch as unnecessary, or frivolous even. It can be difficult to justify the time, or simply find the time. But I think it’s important to find these moments, if not everyday, then at least occasionally, to nourish oneself, to find or make joy in what could otherwise be a mundane daily moment.
I made the following dish for my lunch on Monday. And it was so good, I made it again today before I sat down to write. It is one of those perfect lunch dishes- light enough to be able to continue with the day but substantial enough that you don’t feel hungry afterwards. You can prep most of it ahead of time- very nice if you are making it for guests- leaving only the frying of the socca and tossing of the salad for when you are ready to serve. It is also vegetarian and gluten free, which is just a nice bonus.
Socca is a traditional street food from Nice in the south of France, similar to Ligurian farinata. A large, flat pancake made from chickpea (garbanzo) flour and olive oil. In Nice, it is cooked in a large flat pan in a wood fired pizza oven and served in large wedges, like a slice of New York pizza. It is usually topped only with plenty of fresh cracked pepper and needs nothing more. I absolutely love it and get craving for it as soon as the weather gets hot.
Incidentally, socca also makes a good base for topping with seasonal vegetables. I have made it with ramps- where I actually put the ramps into the batter- and served it with a chili oil and vinegar dipping sauce making it resemble a Euro take on a scallion pancake. It is also great with roasted tomatoes, olive tapenade, grilled zucchini…anything really. I like to eat it simply as it, with plenty of cracked pepper on it, standing in the kitchen with a glass of rose or sparkling water. It is also delicious with some finely chopped fresh rosemary sprinkled over the batter as it is cooking.
The onions take an hour to cook, so begin by preparing those first. The recipe makes more than you will need for the recipe, but they are delicious tossed through salads or used to top toast or accompany grilled steak or chicken.
You may end up with some extra socca batter, it keeps well in the fridge for a day or two, perfect for a small snack later on.
Have all the components ready to go and then cook the socca off just before serving.
SoccaÂ
1.5 C chickpea flourÂ
1.5 tsp saltÂ
3/4c plus 3 T sparkling water (or sub still water and 1/2 tsp baking/bi-carb soda)
3 T olive oil
Black pepper
Extra olive oil to cookÂ
Mix everything except the extra olive oil together in a bowl, seasoning liberally with black pepper. Leave to stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat (non-stick or a well seasoned cast iron). When the pan is hot but not smoking, add a tablespoon of oil to the pan and then spoon in about 1/3 C of the batter, spreading it slightly to form a round about 5 or 6 inches in diameter. Crack extra black pepper over the top as the socca is cooking if you desire. Cook until mostly cooked though and golden brown on the bottom and then flip using a spatula. Cook for a minute or two longer until completely cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Feta & Yogurt Spread
3 Oz feta (about 100g)
1/2c yogurtÂ
gently mash the feta and yogurt together- a mortar and pestle is ideal if you have one but if not simply use a fork.
Onion
2 onions, finely sliced
6T olive oilÂ
4T white balsamic (regular balsamic will work if that is all you have or wine vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar)
Few sprigs lemon thyme (or regular), optional
SaltÂ
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C
Place all the ingredients in a roasting dish that holds the onions snuggly (by that I mean there is not a bunch of space around the onions where they might color quickly) and cover tightly with foil- or a lid if your pan has one.
Place in the oven and cook for about an hour, giving the onions a gentle stir once or twice to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom or browning, until soft and gently sweet. The juices will form the base of the dressing.
Salad
1 bunch asparagus, sliced on diagonalÂ
1/2 head radicchio, torn into smallish pieces or couple handfuls of bitter/spicy greens such as arugulaÂ
half recipe of onions (above)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemonÂ
8-10 mint leaves, roughly tornÂ
salt and pepper
cook asparagus in a hot pan in 2 or batches so as not to overcrowd the pan until slightly golden and just softened
Place in a bowl with the greens, lemon zest, mint and a good squeeze of lemon juice and a small pinch of salt and a crack o black pepper. Pour in half of the onions and their juices and toss to coat.
To Serve
Place a socca pancake on a plate, spread with a dollop of the yogurt and feta spread and then top with the salad.
