Wheat-free France

This year we chose France as our holiday destination; 1 because none of us had been to France,  2 because it was hot and the flights were cheap and 3 because my eldest is studying France at school.

I must say there was a little niggle as I conjured up wild images of croissants, pain au chocolate and bakeries full to the brim of gorgeous cakes, but I put it to the back of my mind and got into the holiday spirit.

We were travelling light (only two bags in the hold for six of us!) but just to be on the safe side though I packed:

• A bag of porridge (I am wheat and not gluten intolerant so oats are fine for me)
• A box of oatcakes
• A packet of ricecakes

Barcelona was a breeze so surely Nice would be too...right?

If I am honest it was tough! We all ate well (really well!) but not being able to have croissants for brekkie, yummy crusty bread for lunch and a delicious cake after dinner was hard. Lunches consisted of mainly salad and by the end of the holiday the main good thing was I didn't put on any weight. VERY unusual!

Socca

One local delicacy is socca. Socca is a savory, peppery pancake made with chickpea flour and goes great with a cold beer or a glass of rosé wine.

Socca is a savory, peppery pancake made with chickpea flour. Served piping hot at several establishments along the winding, narrow streets of Old Nice, France, it goes great with a cold beer or a glass of rosé wine.

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup chickpea flour, sifted or at least shaken through a fine strainer

1 cup warm water, (not hot!)

1-3 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

4-5 teaspoons olive oil

1. Put a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or pizza pan in the oven and preheat to 230 degrees centigrade. While that’s heating up, gather the ingredients.
2. Add the salt and pepper to the flour, then pour the water in slowly. Whisk the batter until smooth. Cover and let sit for at least 15 minutes  (You can let it sit for as long as 12 hours).
3. Take the hot pan out of the oven and carefully pour in 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Swirl to coat. Pour in the batter and put back in the oven for 15 minutes. 
4. Take the pan out of the oven, and with two spatulas carefully flip the pancake so the topside is now face down. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to brown. Cut and serve along with cold beer or wine.

Roti

Ingredients

400g GF plain flour

4 1/2 tbsp Baking powder

3/4 tsp Salt

370 ml water

butter or ghee, as needed



Method

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl.

2. Add the water and mix in thoroughly to form a firm dough. Knead until smooth and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

3. Knead the rested dough and divide into 12 small even-sized balls. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough-ball into a thin circle.

4. In a hot griddle or frying pan cook each roti for about one minute each side, remove, brush with butter or ghee then place onto a naked flame of a gas hob for a few sec each side. This will puff the roti up slightly and give it a mode traditional look and taste.

5. Keep warm under a clean towel until ready to eat.