Breton crêperies always serve salty buckwheat flour pancakes with savoury fillings, reserving wheat flour crêpes for dessert. This home cooking version by grand chef Paul Bocuse is easy to prepare and makes ultra light, crispy, and distinctively flavoured pancakes. I love eating them straight out of the pan with a good knob of melted butter or as a traditional "crêpe complete" with a ham, cheese and egg filling. Sooo bad yet sooo good...
Paul Bocuse’s buckweat pancakes (galettes de blé noir)
|
Recipe by: Paul Bocuse for Staub Busy:30 min (plus at least 3 hours resting time) Serves: about 8 to 10 crêpes |
Add the egg and mix thoroughly with the flour. Melt the butter and pour it slowly over the flour, mixing constantly until obtaining a dry crumble-like texture. Start adding the water slowly, stirring constantly and making sure no dry lumps form. As soon as the batter becomes manageable enough, switch to a whisk. Keep pouring the water little by little, whisking it into the batter. When finished, the batter should have the texture of liquid cream. Give it an energetic beating, whisking and lifting for a few minutes. This will make the crepes lighter and improve their texture, so have a good go at it.
Leave to rest for at least 3 hours or overnight if you can. The batter will have thickened a bit so when you are ready to use it, stir in a small glass of water or use beer if you want your crêpes extra light and crispy .
Warm up a large non-stick frying pan. Once the pan is hot, place a knob of butter in a square of kitchen towel and rub the inside of the pan with the butter. Take the pan off the heat and pour a ladle (about 60 mL) of batter on it. Rotate the pan with your wrist to allow the batter to spread on the entire surface of the pan. Place it back on the hob and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes or so, until the bottom side of the crêpe is browned. Turn the crêpe over and cook for 1 more minute. You can add the filling at this stage or transfer the crêpe to a plate if you want to make them all at once and cook them with the filling later.
Rub a bit more butter on the pan and make the next crêpe.
Savoury filling ideas:
- Crêpe complète: place a slice of cooked ham in the middle of the crêpe, crack open an egg on top and sprinkle grated comté cheese around the yolk. Once the egg white is cooked, sprinkle with pepper and fold the sides of the crêpe on top of the filling, leaving the yolk to show at the center.
- Cooked mushrooms and cream
- Roquefort and pear, with roquette on top
- Butter-braised leeks and pancetta
- Simply ham and cheese
- Goat's cheese and onion confit
- Goat's cheese and cooked spinach
- Melted salted butter (my ultra favourite!)
Mix the two flours and salt in a large bowl.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly with the flour. Melt the butter and pour it slowly over the flour, mixing constantly until obtaining a dry crumble-like texture. Start adding the water slowly, stirring constantly and making sure no dry lumps form. As soon as the batter becomes manageable enough, switch to a whisk. Keep pouring the water little by little, whisking it into the batter. When finished, the batter should have the texture of liquid cream. Give it an energetic beating, whisking and lifting for a few minutes. This will make the crepes lighter and improve their texture, so have a good go at it.
Leave to rest for at least 3 hours or overnight if you can. The batter will have thickened a bit so when you are ready to use it, stir in a small glass of water or use beer if you want your crêpes extra light and crispy .
Warm up a large non-stick frying pan. Once the pan is hot, place a knob of butter in a square of kitchen towel and rub the inside of the pan with the butter. Take the pan off the heat and pour a ladle (about 60 mL) of batter on it. Rotate the pan with your wrist to allow the batter to spread on the entire surface of the pan. Place it back on the hob and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes or so, until the bottom side of the crêpe is browned. Turn the crêpe over and cook for 1 more minute. You can add the filling at this stage or transfer the crêpe to a plate if you want to make them all at once and cook them with the filling later.
Rub a bit more butter on the pan and make the next crêpe.
Savoury filling ideas:
- Crêpe complète: place a slice of cooked ham in the middle of the crêpe, crack open an egg on top and sprinkle grated comté cheese around the yolk. Once the egg white is cooked, sprinkle with pepper and fold the sides of the crêpe on top of the filling, leaving the yolk to show at the center.
- Cooked mushrooms and cream
- Roquefort and pear, with roquette on top
- Butter-braised leeks and pancetta
- Simply ham and cheese
- Goat’s cheese and onion confit
- Goat’s cheese and cooked spinach
- Melted salted butter (my ultra favourite!)
Buckwheat flour can be found in most health stores if you cannot find it at you supermarket.
The longer you leave the batter to rest the darker it will be (a desirable outcome). The fermentation of the flour also improves the texture of the crêpes and makes the batter easier to work with, so if you can, prepare it the night before. To help your crêpes reach a darker colour, you can also add a teaspoon of mild honey to the batter.
Traditional buckwheat batter is made with only water, gluten-free buckwheat flour and coarse grey salt. The addition of an egg and wheatflour to the recipe makes the batter less breakable and easier to spread but is not necessary to the taste. If there are egg or wheat allergies in your family, make it the traditional way, it will be as delicious.
The longer you leave the batter to rest the darker it will be (a desirable outcome). The fermentation of the flour also improves the texture of the crêpes and makes the batter easier to work with, so if you can, prepare it the night before. To help your crêpes reach a darker colour, you can also add a teaspoon of mild honey to the batter.
Traditional buckwheat batter is made with only water, gluten-free buckwheat flour and coarse grey salt. The addition of an egg and wheatflour to the recipe makes the batter less breakable and easier to spread but is not necessary to the taste. If there are egg or wheat allergies in your family, make it the traditional way, it will be as delicious.
Ingredients
200g buckwheat flour
50 g flour
1 egg
30 g butter
1/2 L water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
200g buckwheat flour
50 g flour
1 egg
30 g butter
1/2 L water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Copyright © 2009 Tasty Diaries. All rights reserved.
