Socca Crêpes with Spinach and Herb Filling
Socca:
- 2 cups chickpea flour
- 1¼ cups water, plus more if needed
- 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil for cooking the crêpes
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 pound flat-leaf spinach, trimmed of thick stems, washed, and dried
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh oregano
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- ½ pound feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
Socca are rustic crepes sold by vendors in Nice’s openair markets and in workingmen’s cafés.
- Combine the flour, water, eggs, ¼ cup of olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and beat well. Allow the batter to sit for 30 minutes.
- Stir the batter, then check the consistency. It should be the consistency of traditional wheat flour crêpe batter, that is, the thickness of heavy cream. If the batter is too thick, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. (You will have about 3 cups of batter.)
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a small nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Ladle about 2 tablespoons of batter into the hot pan, then quickly tilt the pan to make a thin even circle of batter about 6 inches across. Cook the socca until it just starts to color, about 30 seconds, then carefully peel it away from the pan (it should come free easily), flip it, and cook the other side, adding more oil as needed. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter. Stack the socca as they finish cooking so they don’t dry out. You should end up with around 20 crêpes. Select the best 16 and set the remainder aside for another use (hint: with powdered sugar, jam, or honey for breakfast tomorrow). If you’re making the socca ahead, let the stack cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you’re ready to use them.
- To make the filling, heat ¼ cup of olive oil and garlic in a large sauté pan over medium heat until the garlic becomes aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach, cover, and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Drain, if necessary, and let cool. Add the chopped herbs and crumbled feta to the spinach, mixing well.
- Lay the 16 socca on a counter. Imagine each socca as a clock face and distribute the spinach mixture evenly among the socca, placing it in the upper right quadrant of each crêpe (between 12 o’clock and 3 o’clock). Fold each crêpe in half (along the 3 o’clock-9 o’clock axis), then in half again so it’s folded in quarters.
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a platter in the oven.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. Add the folded crêpes and cook, turning once, until golden brown and crisp on each side, 3 to 5 minutes. You may have to do them in two batches. Transfer to the warm platter as you finish them. Serve warm or at room temperature.