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Hetty McKinnon's socca pancakes with herby sweetcorn salad recipe

On nights when time or inspiration are lacking, turn to chickpea flour. While chickpea flour, or besan or gram as it is sometimes known, may seem an unlikely weeknight cooking saviour, its versatility is unsurpassed. With its naturally nutty taste, it needs little more than water to turn it into a crispy batter for vegetables.

One of my favourite meals is a twist on a childhood classic – sweet and sour cauliflower, made with chickpea flour batter, which I serve with thin slivers of red capsicums and ramen noodles.

In the summer, I dip goats-cheese-filled zucchini flowers in chickpea batter before panfrying for a crispy, light and deeply satisfying warm-weather meal.


Socca pancakes are a quick and easy weeknight dinner and satisfy my fondness for savoury pancakes. Originally from France (alternatively known as farinata in Italy), socca is a simple mixture of chickpea flour and water, enhanced with a lick of olive oil, and your chosen seasonings.

I like to add some parmesan cheese, herbs or spices to my batter to amp up the flavour. In the early hours, you can add a mashed banana, a whisper of cinnamon and a slick of maple syrup to your pancakes for a sweet morning treat. We recently used socca pancakes as a gluten-free pizza crust, topped with tomatoes, mushrooms, basil and melty mozzarella.

Rest your socca batter before cooking – this allows the chickpea flour appropriate time to hydrate. Even better, prepare the batter the night before and leave it to unwind in the fridge overnight.

Socca is best eaten immediately, but you can also refrigerate leftovers for up to one week and re-warm before eating.

Socca pancakes with herby sweetcorn salad

This recipe is open to interpretation. Add some diced radish to your sweetcorn salad for extra crunch, or serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and topped with an egg for more heart.

makes 4 individual sized pancakes

1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
2 tbsp (40ml) olive oil, plus more for cooking
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sea salt
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
black pepper

Herby sweetcorn salad
extra virgin olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
450g corn kernels (from about 3 corn cobs)
1 avocado, peeled and diced
100g (about 10-12) cherry or grape tomatoes
2 cups baby spinach or rocket leaves
60g goats cheese, crumbled
big handful of soft herbs such as dill, parsley, mint, chives, coriander or basil
½ lime
sea salt and black pepper

Combine the chickpea flour with 1 cup (250ml) water and whisk until smooth. Add the oil, garlic, cumin, sea salt, sesame seeds, and season with black pepper. Allow this mixture to sit while you prepare your salad (this mixture can be prepared a day earlier and stored in the fridge overnight).

In a large frypan, drizzle with oil and when hot, add the shallots. Cook on medium heat for 1 minute; then add the corn kernels and cook on high heat for 3-4 minutes until sweet and still crisp. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Transfer this corn mixture to a bowl and allow to cool.

I find it easier to cook one pancake at a time, using a small frypan (but obviously use whatever size pan you have). Heat your pan on high heat and add a drizzle of oil. When hot, add ¼ of the batter into the pan and coax it into a pancake shape. Allow to cook for about 30 seconds, until it is bubbling and set around the edges – reduce heat if it browns too quickly.

Carefully lift up the pancake and check the underside – once golden, flip the pancake over and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until golden. Remove and set aside. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Finish off the salad by adding the avocado, tomatoes, leaves, goats cheese and herbs to the corn mixture. Squeeze in lime juice, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive, season with sea salt and black pepper, and toss everything together.

To serve, place the pancake on a plate and top with the herby corn salad.

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