And then there were soccas…and they were socca-licious…socca-tastic…socca-ful. Okay, perhaps they did not require a whole slew of neologisms to be added to the Dictionary, but they were pretty darn good.

Soccas are a simple yet savory, French pancake of sorts. Made with chickpea flour and olive oil, the batter is quite runny, and when poured into a screaming-hot skillet, they take only moments to cook. The end result is a griddle cake unlike any that I have had — chewy, almost nutty, salty, the ideal accompaniment to have with a shallow bowl of artichoke bouillabaisse.

Dipping the soccas, hot from the griddle into the saffron-y broth of the bouillabaisse was sublime, but I was imagining all sorts of other soccas I could make. I could spread a socca lightly with Dijon mustard, and sprinkle it with French ham and arugula, then eat promptly with a fork and knife; or what about dousing the crepe in a light tomato sauce and a smattering of Parmesan cheese, for a Frenchman’s pizza. Soccas are delicious on their own, but I imagine them to be a superb base for anything you might like to build on top of them.

Go ahead and try them (the recipe follows the bouillabaisse), and tell me how you prepared them. Or just make a pile of soccas to eat, fresh off of the griddle, all by themselves.