PANCAKE DAY SPECIAL
The only pancake recipe you will ever need plus two buckwheat galette recipes which each make a delicious weeknight supper
It’s Pancake Day on Tuesday - one of the best days of the year in my humble opinion. Also known as Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday…but whatever you call it, a day where you are actively encouraged to eat pancakes is a very good day indeed.
Now of course all pancakes are wonderful but this is really a day to celebrate the crêpe - the thin French type of pancake that you flip in the pan as opposed to the fluffy American style. Sweet (crêpes sucrées) or savoury galettes are equally good and I’ve got recipes for both for you today. My ultimate crêpe recipe which is as easy as it is delicious and then a recipe for buckwheat galettes. These savoury pancakes make a great mid week supper which you can fill with all sorts but here I’ve gone for Gruyere & Bacon Buckwheat Galette and Goats Cheese and also Wild Mushroom & Hot Honey Buckwheat Galettes. Yes, they are as delicious as they sound.
Now, let’s start back to front and talk about sweet first. I know that’s counterintuitive but on pancake day I think all rules are out of the window. For me a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of sugar is the ultimate in pancake heaven. This is a classic for a reason but always opt for fresh lemon and not that strange lemon juice in the squeezy bottles which I’ve never been able to get on board with. Or these tiramisu ones I made last year which are a real treat, if you love tiramisu like I do you need to give these a try.
If you haven’t tried making crêpes before, they are really very easy and this is a recipe I’ve been using for years and I would go as far to call it foolproof. Bold claim I know, but there I said it.
You can make great pancakes with just flour, milk and eggs but by adding a little melted butter, an extra egg yolk and a little sugar you end up with a really rich, delicious batter that gives you gorgeously creamy pancakes with light crispy lacey edges. Honestly, they are so good.
Lots of people will tell you to rest your batter but I have just never found this to be a.) practical or b.) necessary. If you are the kind of person who has the willpower and foresight to make your batter ahead of time, then by all means you can but I’ve tested it both ways and not found the difference to be worth the faff.
You will need a non stick pan, I have a special pancake pan like this one, because we do make a lot of pancakes in our house and I also needed it for catering jobs but a normal non stick pan will do the job if you can’t justify buying any more pans. I grease my pan with a little knob of butter and some kitchen paper in between each pancake.
The only other pancake knowledge I can impart is to tell you that for some reason the first pancake you make of each batch will not work quite as it should. I actually have no idea why this is the case? But it just won’t be a good pancake - the good news is that it will be good enough for you to eat, it just won’t win any beauty awards. So do the first one, gobble it hot from the pan, wipe the pan with a little more butter and then begin again.
You’ve got this!
The only pancake recipe you will need
Makes 8 pancakes
110g plain flour
1 tsp caster sugar
pinch of sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 pint milk
extra butter for greasing the pan
Method
Simply mix together the flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and crack in your eggs. Add the melted butter. Add the milk and whisk well to bring it all together.
Grease a non stick frying pan (I use this one) with butter using a scrunched up bit of kitchen paper. I use a ladle to get the right amount of batter in the pan, but this is a bit of trial and error. Remember that the first pancake never turns out right – it’s scientific fact, so don’t stress and then just enjoy it as a chef’s perk.
Cook for 30 seconds or so without touching it, then loosen the edges and flip! Cook for another 30 seconds or so until it’s a lovely colour and then slide onto a plate.
I find pancakes best straight from the pan, so it’s best to have everyone formed in an orderly queue with their plates ready and waiting for you to give them a hot pancake which they can then add their topping of choice to.
If you want to do these ahead of the game, just stack them up using a little greaseproof paper between each pancake to stop them sticking and then they reheat quite well in a low oven.
Right and now onto the savoury.
A savoury pancake is a most delicious thing and makes for a brilliant supper. I like to add buckwheat flour to my savoury pancakes as I love the nuttiness it brings to the flavour - it works really well.
Gruyere & Bacon Buckwheat Galette
These are incredible - filled with a cheesey white sauce, crispy bacon lardons and finished with a fried egg. Such a good combination and really much easier than you might think. These are also lovely filled with a little of the sauce and then rolled up and then placed like sardines in a baking tray and covered with more of the cheese sauce and a little more cheese and baked until golden and gorgeous. Serve with a green salad with a punchy vinaigrette - simple but such a crowd pleaser.
The Recipe
Prep time 10 mins Cook time 30 mins
Serves 2 (makes 4 galettes)
For the pancakes
80 g buckwheat flour
250 ml whole milk
1 egg
100G Bacon lardons
25g unsalted butter
25g flour
250ml milk
30 ml double cream
1 tsp dijon mustard 30g gruyere
4 eggs
Salt & pepper, to taste
Method
1. Whisk the flour, 250 ml milk & 1 egg and a pinch of salt to a smooth batter and leave to one side. Preheat the oven to 180C (fan).
2. Fry the bacon lardons over a medium-high heat until crisp and golden. Remove from the pan, leaving the fat behind - we are going to use this to cook the gallettes in.
3. Next we're going to make the cheese filling. Add the remaining 250ml of milk to a saucepan over a low heat so it's gently simmering. Heat the butter in a pan until foaming, about 2 mins, then toss in the flour, and whisk vigorously for 2 minutes to ensure the flour is really cooked out. Add the warm milk ladle by ladle, whisking until combined into a smooth creamy sauce.
4. Remove from the heat and finish with the cream, dijon mustard and gruyere, fold 2⁄3 of the lardons through and season generously with salt and pepper.
5. Bring the bacon fat pan to a medium-high heat until foaming.
6. Add enough batter to the pan to coat a thin layer. Cook for 2 minutes before flipping, ensuring it’s golden brown and the batter has set.
7. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the cheese & bacon mixture, leaving room in the center for the egg. Crack the egg in, then fold each side like a parcel. Transfer to a lined baking tray.
8. Repeat until you have used all the batter and place the tray of assembled galettes in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the egg is set and the yolk is cooked to your desired consistency.
9. Transfer the galettes to a platter, scatter over the remaining lardons and season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Goats Cheese, Wild Mushroom & Hot Honey Buckwheat Galettes
As a bonus for Dinner Tonight+ members, here’s another gorgeous savoury pancake. The combination of goats cheese, mushroom and honey is so good - I also love to combination served on top of an omelette, or scooped onto toast.
The Recipe
Prep time 10 mins Cook time 20 mins
Serves 2 (makes 4 galettes)