Buckwheat Pancake Recipe
galette de sarrasin
This is a traditional buckwheat pancake recipe which is found in France, particularly in the north west in the Loire Atlantique and Brittany regions.
It is made with buckwheat flour, often filled with savoury fillings of meat, cheeses and sometimes vegetables. A very tasty and filling food which everyone loves so is very popular with the holiday tourists and is one recipe that can be made at home for a welcome change from most fast foods. It is a good dish for any time of day either on its own or with a green salad and it is so tasty and filling.
To help you along with this recipe I have included some extra pictures of the stages so you can get a better idea of how to make it.
Any good heavy bottomed pan will do but a good cast iron griddle is an easy option if you have one.
As for the cheese, simply use a cheese you like that can be grated and which will melt as it cooks – Mmmm...Yummy!
Ingredients – Makes about 6 galettes
250gm (8oz) buckwheat flour – if you can’t find this, you can buy it online or some supermarkets sell a mixture of buckwheat with rice and potato flour. You can use ordinary flour if all else fails!
1 egg
½ litre of water
Pinch of salt
Olive oil or any light vegetable oil for oiling your pan/griddle
For the filling
Grated cheese – enough for your liking but at least 2oz for each galette
Slices of ham – about 3 – 4 small slices per galette
One egg per galette
Method
1. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl.
2. Separate the yolk from the white of the egg, (keep the yolk as it will be mixed into the batter) and whisk the white until it is stiff.
3. Add the egg yolk to the flour and half of the water, mixing it well to a soft batter and then continue to mix in the rest of the water.
4. Mix the egg white into the batter and mix in well.
5. Cover and allow the batter to stand for about an hour.
To Make the Gallettes
Heat the griddle or pan over a medium heat, smearing a little oil over the surface.
Add about half a cup of batter on to the centre of the griddle, allowing it to spread over the entire surface.
As it it cooks, you will see tiny bubbles appear, after about one minute, gently take your spatula and slip it under the galette taking it underneath and across your galette to lift it so that it can be turned. You will now be able to see if it is beginning to brown underneath.
When it is ready to turn, flip it over with the spatula and crack an egg on to the surface of the galette. It will run across the top which is normal, then sprinkle some grated cheese over the surface and place slices of ham around the egg.
As it cooks, gently lift the sides of the galette with your spatula and fold into the centre. Do this so that you fold the sides, top and bottom into the centre rather like an envelope. Then flip the galette over and cook for about thirty seconds on the other side. It doesn’t matter if it is not perfect – mine never is!
When cooked your galette should be lovely and crisp with the egg yolk remaining nice and runny. It is now ready and can be served with chopped herbs such as chives or parsley, or a green salad, or if you prefer, simply on its own.
