Socca is the Riviera's favorite street snack: a batter of chickpea flour, water and olive oil poured into a huge round copper pan and slid into a blazing wood oven. It comes out freckled with dark blisters, is cut into rough pieces with the edge of a scraper, and is handed over in paper with nothing more than a heavy grind of pepper. The markets of Nice, a short train ride from Monaco, have sold it this way for generations, and it is a close relative of farinata from neighboring Liguria.

Three ingredients, no special skill and naturally gluten free, it is about as democratic as food in Monte Carlo gets. A cast iron skillet and a hot broiler do a convincing impression of the wood oven.

The batter

Ingredients

• 1 cup (120 g) chickpea flour
• 1 cup (240 ml) lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt

Baking and finishing

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• plenty black pepper
• a pinch flaky sea salt

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