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What new foods have you tried recently?

story said:
Socca is one of my kitchen standbys. Not right now, cos I’m carb free for the time being but in more ordinary times I make a stack about once a fortnight and keep them in the freezer. They’re great as a carb accompaniment for soups or salads, make a great lunch wrap, base for pizza or as a tart. A really good standby.

Flavour depends on how well you season the batter. I add salt, pepper, really good olive oil and usually plenty of herbs de Provence but sometimes cumin or caraway or nigella seeds or maybe chilli flakes. Always let the batter rest for at least 20 minutes. Use a hot pan and not too much oil. Don’t turn it; once the bottom is cooked, put the whole pan into a hot oven.

(Although when I’m making smaller ones I work with two pans on the hob: first pan gets a ladle of batter cooked til the top is just firming up, then I flip it into the second pan to finish, and then load up the first pan with another ladle of batter. Production line innit.)

When I’ve got guests I’ll make a big one and then cut into pizza slices serve straight from the pan, but for myself I make lots of smaller ones, cool them, stack them separated with something* and freeze. They take a few minutes to thaw out /warm up in a warm oven, or I’ll take one out at breakfast time and it’ll be ready to eat by lunchtime.

And cooked the for supper, they’re good the next day too.

Socca is the South of France version but chickpea flatbread is standard fare elsewhere too.




* additional kitchen tip: I used to use waxed baking paper to separate stuff like sliced bread, socca etc but I now save and reuse the plastic sheets that come with pre-pack deli meats. A quick wipe with a soapy sponge, rinse, laid to drain and dry on a tea towel, endlessly re-useable.
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Maybe I should try again! It's been a few years since I had a go and I've got chickpea flour in bahjis, but not making them right now as I've banned myself from the fryer.

What ratio do you use water to flour?
 
UnderAnOpenSky said:
Maybe I should try again! It's been a few years since I had a go and I've got chickpea flour in bahjis, but not making them right now as I've banned myself from the fryer.

What ratio do you use water to flour?
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1:1
The same volume of each.

I use a measuring glass and fill it to 125 mls of the flour, pour that through a sieve, then use the same measuring glass for the water, pour that in, mix well with a balloon whisk, add the seasoning, cover with a plate, set aside. Dead easy.

About a tablespoon of good olive oil, well incorporated. Not your cooking oil, your dressing oil, the good stuff. Not just stirred in, beaten in.

If I’m being posh I’ll use posh water (Pelegríno has it’s own flavour). Fizzy water theoretically gives the batter a bit of oomph and I have a soda stream so I sometimes use fizzy water, but it doesn’t really make much difference.
 
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story said:
1:1
The same volume of each.

I use a measuring glass and fill it to 125 mls of the flour, pour that through a sieve, then use the same measuring glass for the water, pour that in, mix well with a ballon whisk, add the seasoning, cover with a plate, set aside. Dead easy.

About a tablespoon of good olive oil, well incorporated. Not your cooking oil, your dressing oil, the good stuff. Not just stirred in, beaten in.

If I’m being posh I’ll use posh water (Pelegríno has it’s own flavour). Fizzy water theoretically gives the batter a bit of oomph and I have a soda stream so I sometimes use fizzy water, but it doesn’t really make much difference.
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Brilliant. I'll make a note of that. Don't think I finished them in the oven last time, so that should also help.
 
UnderAnOpenSky said:
Brilliant. I'll make a note of that. Don't think I finished them in the oven last time, so that should also help.
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Yes. Pre-heat the oven properly. Don’t put too much oil in the pan (you’re not frying it!). Think more pancake than fried egg. Make sure the batter covers the base of the pan and don’t disturb it while it’s setting. Then just check under the edges with a spatula. When it looks good, just transfer it to the oven and close the door.

Depending on when you take it out, the texture can be anything from cakey to crispy.

When I’m making a big one I use a really large flat pan and I have to set it across two gas burners and shift the pan around so it cooks evenly.

Don't use a paella pan. I tried that but they’re slightly domed in the middle to allow the juices to flow to the edge, so the middle of the socca would scorch. Use as flat a pan as you can to ensure even cooking.
 
Wolveryeti said:
Probably one of the most horrible things I have ever put in my mouth. And I have eaten things like ayahuasca bark powder and san pedro cactus.

I can only describe it as a bitter, mustardy green sludge. If you were captured on an alien asteroid outpost this is what they would give you to eat in their dungeon.


View attachment 324012
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Sarson ka saag is a thing of untrammelled beauty. The tinned version is admittedly nowhere near as good, but I am still shocked and confused by your review :( You should try the proper version if you have any Punjabi places nearby. I mean, maybe you shouldn't :D but I wish you would.
 
polly said:
Sarson ka saag is a thing of untrammelled beauty. The tinned version is admittedly nowhere near as good, but I am still shocked and confused by your review :( You should try the proper version if you have any Punjabi places nearby. I mean, maybe you shouldn't :D but I wish you would.
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I was thinking “that sounds bloody delicious to me!”. I’ll be on the look out for it.
 
story said:
I was thinking “that sounds bloody delicious to me!”. I’ll be on the look out for it.
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It's so good and really easy to make, you just need to be able to buy the mustard leaves (sarson) and fresh methi. But you should be able to do that locally :)
 
polly said:
It's so good and really easy to make, you just need to be able to buy the mustard leaves (sarson) and fresh methi. But you should be able to do that locally :)
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I wonder if I could do it with garlic mustard leaves…
I bet I could!

1653478537303.jpeg



I‘ve got some in my garden. I took seeds last year and scattered them about and this year they’ve popped up. I’m delighted! But so far I’ve left them alone, not harvested, cos I want them to self seed. I’ll check out the recipe and see if I can make a small amount, or maybe just plan ahead for next year.
 
polly said:
It's so good and really easy to make, you just need to be able to buy the mustard leaves (sarson) and fresh methi. But you should be able to do that locally :)
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Fresh methi… you mean the leaves? Easy to get the seeds and dried leaves here. I’m looking at recipes and it seems to ask for methi seeds…? Or maybe both!
 
story said:
I wonder if I could do it with garlic mustard leaves…
I bet I could!

View attachment 324037



I‘ve got some in my garden. I took seeds last year and scattered them about and this year they’ve popped up. I’m delighted! But so far I’ve left them alone, not harvested, cos I want them to self seed. I’ll check out the recipe and see if I can make a small amount, or maybe just plan ahead for next year.
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Hmm I'm not sure. It might be too bitter and a bit flimsy. But you could definitely try it. I think garlic mustard is a bastard for spreading btw :D
story said:
Fresh methi… you mean the leaves? Easy to get the seeds and dried leaves here. I’m looking at recipes and it seems to ask for methi seeds…? Or maybe both!
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Yeah! As Spy says, you should be able to get it easily from Indian shops selling fresh produce. Or even a big Asda maybe.
 
polly said:
Hmm I'm not sure. It might be too bitter and a bit flimsy. But you could definitely try it. I think garlic mustard is a bastard for spreading btw :D


Yeah! As Spy says, you should be able to get it easily from Indian shops selling fresh produce. Or even a big Asda maybe.
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Easy to pull out if they’re int he wrong place! And I have lots of plans for harvest and storage anyway.

I might experiment.
 
story said:
I just wanted to check if she meant the leaves or the seeds. The recipes I’m looking at mention both.
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Sorry - leaves! Obviously I'm not an authority on Punjabi cooking so this is just the recipe I was given by someone who is! Equal ish quantities of sarson leaves, those larger, tougher spinach leaves often sold in local shops and a bunch of methi per large bunch of each. And green chillis. Boil it all until it's mush, then add some cornmeal and mash. Then season. I often make a tarka of butter, ground coriander seeds, garlic and more green chillis.

story said:
Easy to pull out if they’re int he wrong place! And I have lots of plans for harvest and storage anyway.

I might experiment.
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True! Will you post what you make? I've only nibbled it straight from the plant and it wasn't very nice, but apparently the young plants are much better.
 
polly said:
Sorry - leaves! Obviously I'm not an authority on Punjabi cooking so this is just the recipe I was given by someone who is! Equal ish quantities of sarson leaves, those larger, tougher spinach leaves often sold in local shops and a bunch of methi per large bunch of each. And green chillis. Boil it all until it's mush, then add some cornmeal and mash. Then season. I often make a tarka of butter, ground coriander seeds, garlic and more green chillis.



True! Will you post what you make? I've only nibbled it straight from the plant and it wasn't very nice, but apparently the young plants are much better.
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Oh yes, only take the young leaves, or from the top. They can be tough and bitter when they’re older.
Lovely chopped into a salad or wilted through pasta, made into pesto. Grind/whizz with butter, roll into a log with cling film, chill, slice into roundels, freeze, then add to baked potatoes, rice etc. all year round.


Your cooking sounds divine! I’ll definitely make some notes x
 
story said:
Oh yes, only take the young leaves, or from the top. They can be tough and bitter when they’re older.
Lovely chopped into a salad or wilted through pasta, made into pesto. Grind/whizz with butter, roll into a log with cling film, chill, slice into roundels, freeze, then add to baked potatoes, rice etc. all year round.


Your cooking sounds divine! I’ll definitely make some notes x
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Thanks! So does yours. I will try the garlic mustard again x
 
Found out last night it's a Japanese word, while searching for what it actually is.

It's wheat gluten.
 
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