"It's called socca, it's actually a staple of Nice on the Mediterranean south of France. It's made of chickpea flour," said Rousso.
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She is talking about pancakes. Not like the American stack, drowning in butter and syrup, but pancakes in parting a savory flavor.
"If you try it you'll see you don't really need anything, so delicious," she claimed.
Rousso likes cooking in a cast-iron skillet in the oven, then adding toppings and slicing like a pizza - but the stove version is fine, too.
Rather than traditional wheat or white flour, try chickpea flour available at most markets, especially natural-food stores.
"It's crispy, it's rich, it's earthy, it's delicious, good for you," said Rousso.
Chickpea flour is high in protein and fiber. It's also gluten-free.
The Israeli chef also adds spicy chilies, sweet tomatoes, olives, radishes, peppery arugula and drizzles it with olive oil.
Some vegetables, like avocado or corn, might be a good place to start. The pancake can even be rolled up like a taco or burrito.
If you just can't wake up to veggies, Rousso recommends to start slow. You can make your pancake, and top it with some tahini or a bit of almond butter.
Tahini is sesame seed paste that is an ingredient in hummus. By itself, tahini resembles rich yet mild peanut butter. It's definitely worth a try.
"Anything goes with tahini that's the magic," she said.
Beyond chickpea flour, trying flour made of quinoa and others can also offer a different taste and texture profile.
Look for a cookbook by Ruth Rousso out in the fall.
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Ruth Rousso's basic pancake recipe:
For the batter:
- 9.2 oz chickpea flour
- 2.25 cups water
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
For tahini:
- 1/2 cup raw tahini
- 1/2 cup cold water
- a little bit of fresh lemon juice
For toppings:
- 20 cherry tomatoes, preferably different colors, cut to 4
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- 8 radishes, cut to 4 lengthwise
- fresh jalapeño, sliced
- 20 kalamata olives, pitted
- 1/2 purple onion, sliced
- arugula
- olive oil for dressing
- black pepper and coarse salt
Method:
1. Mix all the batter ingredients in a bowl. Let stand for 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile hit your oven to its max with the cast iron pan (or pans) inside, twenty minutes before batter is done resting.
3. Pour a bit of olive oil in the pan and pour the batter. Place back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Make the tahini- mix all the ingredients well. Reserve.
5. To serve: take out the socca from the oven. Drizzle some tahini on top. Arrange the fresh vegetables and add some arugula. Season with a little bit of olive oil, black pepper and coarse salt and eat while it's still hot.