Niçoise cuisine, the 5 specialties to know
1/La socca.
“Who doesn’t know socca is not Niçois”, one could sing.
Socca is nothing extraordinary but for any self-respecting Niçois, nothing but the smell of socca fresh out of the wood oven, and it is the evenings spent eating socca, a small glass of rosé in hand, singing “Nissa la Bella” that we remember.
La socca, Qu’es aco ?
It is a very thin pancake made from chickpea flour.
Traditionally, a round baking tray is placed in a wood-fired oven to cook it.
Once cooked, it is seasoned with a little pepper.
How to recognize good socca?
It is crispy on top, soft underneath and above all very hot
This is a recipe that comes to us from nearby Italy where a similar specialty called farinata is enjoyed.
Originally a poor man’s dish, socca is today a delicacy that will cost you between €2.5 and €3 per portion.
Where to eat a good socca in Nice?
In Nice, the most famous is that of “Chez Pipo – 13, rue Bavastro”.
There is also “La Socca d’Or – 45, rue Bonaparte”, “René Socca – 2, place Miralheti” or “Socca tram – 6 bis, avenue Borriglione”.
2/The Niçoise stew
A good Sunday family dish.
Stew (doba à la nissarde) is a winter dish that is even better when reheated.
It is traditionally served with polenta and if there is any left, you can make the ravioli stuffing.
What do we put in the Niçoise stew?
This stew is a generous dish, which is cooked in large quantities. It contains pieces of beef (ideally beef cheek, gite and chuck), a bouquet garni, tomatoes, onions, carrots, a little salty salt, a nice bouquet garni and some orange zest, or even better bitter orange. Not forgetting a bottle of full-bodied red wine in which the meat will have marinated overnight with the bouquet garni.
A little tip for making a good stew: the cooking time. It must cook for a long time over very low heat.
Where to eat a good Niçoise stew?
Accompanied by ravioli, I recommend the one from “Chez Michel – 1, place St Michel – Castagniers”.
3/La pissaladière
It is a specialty made from bread dough, pissalat (or, failing that, anchovy paste), anchovy fillets, olive oil and Nice olives. It dates back to the 14th century.
It comes from Genoa and is a dish that can be eaten hot or cold, as an aperitif, on a picnic or standing in the street when you have a little hunger pangs.
4/Niçoise salad
It’s a very simple, fresh dish.
What’s in a real Nicoise salad?
It consists of tomatoes, purple artichokes, eggs, salad, anchovies, broad beans, Nice olives, green peppers, spring onions, radishes, tuna and/or anchovy fillets, olive oil, vinegar, and that’s it. So, no potatoes, corn or green beans!!!!! Isn’t that right, Messrs. Yves Camdeborde and Frédéric Anton!!!!!
This complete, colorful and tasty salad now has a worldwide reputation. And when there is some left, or rather if there is any left, we take a small round loaf, we put the rest of the Niçoise salad in it and we obtain a pan-bagnat.
Where to eat a good Niçoise salad?
Go to “Acchiardo – 38, rue Droite” or to “Safari – 1, cours Saleya”.
5/Niçois stuffed vegetables
“Lu farcit Nissart” is a truly local, complete dish.
Another dish to be enjoyed without moderation. Traditionally, we take tomatoes, onions, small round zucchini from Nice, small green peppers (ideally green ones from Carros) and we prepare a stuffing with the flesh of the vegetables, bread crumbs, a little milk and parmesan. Baked au gratin, these vegetables are a holiday treat.
Where to eat the best Nice specialties?
We provide you with a list of restaurants in our lodgings where you can go and feast with your eyes closed.
Another solution is to ask the people of Nice, they will be happy to tell you their favorite addresses.
You can also consult the website of the city of Nice which lists restaurants and snacks that respect Nice’s gastronomy. (https://www.nicetourisme.com/restaurants-cuisine-nissarde)
Finally, I cannot resist the pleasure of letting you discover the folkloric group “Nux Vomica” evoking the gastronomy of Nice
But Nice gastronomy is not limited to these five dishes.
I could also have told you about trouccha, pesto soup, stockfish, Niçoise tripe, sardine fritters, capouns, etc.
Without forgetting the chard pie which is, in my opinion, the best dessert.
Niçoise cuisine, the 5 specialties to know
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