With the winter season and the semi-confinement in full effect, who’s not in the mood for some delicious pancakes?
So, if you don’t have a little restaurant around the corner that sells them to take away (in your own container, right?), how else can you satisfy your desire? We’re here to help out: Aurélie will share her mother’s recipe with you, so that you can treat yourself to some home-made crêpes. But wait, why are we only mentioning crêpes? And what, then, are galettes? While both translate to pancakes in English, the French language makes the difference between crêpes, which are sweet, and galettes, which are savoury!
Do we really need to make a difference? They are pancakes after all… Well, it’s actually the flour that sets the two types apart: The savoury pancakes are traditionally partly made with buckwheat flour, which gives it a really special taste. It is a different plant than wheat, with the special feature of being gluten free. Prepared with salted butter, this dough has a crunchiness and an exceptional taste!
The dry ingredients can be found in bulk stores, and, preferably, choose to buy organically and locally. The milk you can buy in returnable bottles, or in recyclable packaging. Then, make sure to think about the impact that the right method of livestock farming has on the environment and the taste, when buying your milk and your eggs. Did you gather all your ingredients? Then, let’s get started with this 100% waste-free recipe!
Recipe for Galettes
Ingredients for 6 people
- 125 g buckwheat flour
- 50 g wheat flour
- 3 eggs from happy hens that were raised in the open air
- 2,5 dl milk
- 2 dl water
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 1 pinch of salt
Fillings :
- La classique – ham and cheese : ½ a slice of ham per pancake and gruyère cheese
- La complète : same as the ham and cheese, but with a fried egg in the pancake
Preparation
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until there are no more lumps left.
- Let the dough rest for at least 1 hour.
- Pour the batter in a lightly-oiled frying pan on medium fire and cook the galette equally on both sides (flipping it halfway through).
- Alternatively, you can make a gluten free version without wheat flour by replacing the quantities of wheat with buckwheat. But the galettes will have lots of small holes (the dough shrinks during cooking)
The vegetarian alternatives
- In a little bit of fat (according to your preference), sauté the previously sliced mushrooms in a frying pan. When they start to grill, place them in the galette with a little bit of cheese (and a little bit of cream for the extra, gourmand touch)
- In a little bit of fat, gently steam sliced leek and add some cream. Place it in the galette and add some gruyère
Recipe for Crêpes
Ingredients for 6 people
- 350 g wheat flour
- 2 eggs from happy hens that were raised in the open air
- 5 dl milk
- 2 dl water
- ½ a teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons of oil
Fillings :
- Here is the recipe for a delicious homemade spread that goes wonderfully with pancakes.
- Add sweet ingredients of your choice: fruits (local fruits like apples and pears), honey, maple syrup etc.
Preparation
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until there are no more lumps left.
- Let the dough rest for at least 1 hour.
- Pour the batter in a lightly-oiled frying pan on medium fire and cook the crêpe equally on both sides (flipping it halfway through).
Now all that is left, is for us to wish you bon appétit and a nice little treat!