Waffles, Crepes and Pancakes (10 page)

3.
Preheat the waffle maker to ‘Medium’ heat.

4.
When at temperature, open the machine and pour a small ladleful of batter into the compartments, taking care not to overfill.

5.
Close the machine and cook for 4–6 minutes until golden brown.

6.
Cook the remaining batter and keep warm.

7.
Dust the warm waffles with icing sugar and serve warm

4

Savoury Pancakes – A Second Helping

P
ICTURE A PAINTER’S
palette. It’s great fun to surprise people with savoury waffles and pancakes in bright, vibrant colours. Just mix colourful ingredients into the fillings and toppings.

There’s tomato juice for a rosy red colouring. For a touch of yellow, use a lemon. Spinach or herbs will produce various shades of green, and grated beetroot (beet) will give your crêpes a deep maroon hue. You don’t have to be subtle or understated – good food can be a treat for the eye as well as for the appetite.

With several of these recipes, the topping can be prepared beforehand. If you do this, you can then complete the process for the topping while the waffles or pancakes are being made. For ease of reading, I haven’t always included this alternative approach within the individual recipes.

Spiced Basil Waffles

Tomato juice with basil gives a Mediterranean flavour and a reddish colour to these waffles. The Worcestershire sauce adds spice.

Serves 4–6

Small bunch of basil leaves

115 g / 4 oz / 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

3 medium eggs

2 tbsp melted butter

150 ml / ¼ pint / ⅔ cup tomato juice

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

150 ml / ¼ pint / ⅔ cup milk

1.
Pull the basil leaves from the stalks and tear into small pieces.

2.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, break in the eggs and pour in the melted butter. With a whisk, gently stir the flour mixture into the eggs, gradually adding the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce and enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of double (heavy) cream. Stir in the torn basil.

3.
Preheat the waffle maker to ‘Medium’ heat.

4.
When at temperature, open the machine and pour a small ladleful of batter into the compartments, taking care not to overfill.

5.
Close the machine and cook for 4–6 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

6.
Cook the remaining batter, and serve warm.

Blinis, Smoked Salmon and Soured Cream

Blinis are Russian yeasted pancakes, topped with smoked salmon, soured cream and fish roe, and traditionally made with buckwheat flour. Mine use a yeasted batter, but you can use baking powder as the raising agent. As blinis are small, several can be cooked at the same time. Freeze the remainder in small batches.

Topping to serve 6–8 as appetizers

Blinis

55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup buckwheat flour

55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp caster sugar

½ tsp fast-action dried yeast

2 medium eggs

2 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp finely chopped dill

300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups milk

Oil or melted butter

Topping

200 g / 7 oz smoked salmon

Sprigs of dill

300 ml / ½ pint / generous 1¼ cups soured cream

Small amount of salmon roe, optional

Freshly milled black pepper

Lemon wedges, to squeeze over

1.
Sift the buckwheat flour, plain (all-purpose) flour and salt into a bowl and add the sugar. Stir in the yeast. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs, pour in the melted butter and add the chopped dill. With a whisk, gently stir the flour into the eggs, gradually adding enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of single (light) cream. Cover the bowl with oiled clear film (plastic wrap) and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour. Before using, mix the batter and, if too thick, stir in a little milk.

2.
Lightly brush the crêpe maker or a non-stick frying pan with a little oil or melted butter. Preheat the crêpe maker to ‘Medium’, or put the non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

3.
When hot, pour in a spoonful of batter and spread out to about 4–6 cm / 2–2½ inches across. As the blinis are small, cook several at the same time. Cook gently for about 30–45 seconds on one side until the underside is golden brown. Using a flat spatula or palette knife, carefully flip the blinis over and cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Lift out and keep warm.

4.
Cook the remaining batter and keep warm.

5.
Prepare the topping just before the blinis are cooked. Cut the salmon into strips and pull the dill leaves from the stalks.

6.
Put salmon strips and a spoonful of soured cream on top of each blini. Add a little salmon roe, if using. Season with a little pepper and add a dill leaf. Serve with lemon wedges, to squeeze over.

Chestnut Flour Waffles with Mushrooms

These waffles make me think of autumn, with their flour made from chestnuts and earthy mushrooms in the Italian way. Use your favourite selection of mushrooms.

Serves 4

Waffles

55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup chestnut flour

55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 medium eggs

1 tbsp melted butter

300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups milk

Topping

2 shallots

350 g / 12 oz mixed mushrooms, such as button, oyster, chestnut, shiitake

1 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp vegetable stock

2 tsp lemon juice

Freshly milled salt and black pepper

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1.
Sift the chestnut flour, plain (all-purpose) flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, break in the eggs and pour in the melted butter. With a whisk, gently stir the flour mixture into the eggs, gradually adding enough of the milk to make a
smooth batter the consistency of double (heavy) cream.

2.
Preheat the waffle maker to ‘Medium’ heat.

3.
When at temperature, open the machine and pour a small ladleful of batter into the compartments, taking care not to overfill.

4.
Close the machine and cook for 4–6 minutes until golden brown.

5.
Cook the remaining batter and serve warm.

6.
To make the topping. Finely chop the shallots. Trim the mushrooms and cut in half, or slice if large.

7.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chopped shallots for 5 minutes until softened without browning. Add the mushrooms and fry until golden. Stir in the vegetable stock, lemon juice, a little seasoning and parsley. Cook for 1–2 minutes until piping hot and serve with the warm waffles.

Spinach Pancakes with Tomatoes

Red tomatoes are a striking contrast to the deep green spinach. You can always add a little fish or meat to the filling.

Serves 4

Filling

14 oz / 400 g cherry tomatoes

1 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp red pesto

Freshly milled pepper

Pancakes

50 g / 1¾ oz fresh spinach leaves, or frozen

150 ml / ¼ pint / ⅔ cup milk

115 g / 4 oz / 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

Pinch of salt

2 medium eggs

Oil or melted butter

1.
Cut the tomatoes in half. Heat the oil and pesto in a pan, add the tomato halves and cook for a few minutes until cooked. Season with a little black pepper.

2.
Cook the fresh spinach leaves in 1 tbsp water until wilted. Whiz with a stick-blender until a purée. Pour into a jug and make up to 300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups with the milk added to the spinach.

3.
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. With a whisk, gently stir the flour into the eggs, gradually adding the spinach and milk mixture to make a smooth batter the consistency of single (light) cream. Add a little more milk, if necessary. If time allows, cover and leave to stand for about 30 minutes.

4.
Lightly brush the crêpe maker or a non-stick frying pan with a little oil or melted butter. Preheat the crêpe maker to ‘Medium’, or put the non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

5.
When hot, pour a small ladleful of batter and spread or swirl to give a thin layer. Cook gently for about 30–45 seconds on one side until the underside is golden brown. Using a flat spatula or palette knife, carefully flip the pancake over and cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Lift out and keep warm.

6.
Cook the remaining batter and keep warm.

7.
To serve, spoon the tomato filling onto the warm pancakes. Fold the pancake over the filling and serve immediately.