Buckwheat Pancakes – New Ideas 1

I have two posts already about buckwheat as a grain and buckwheat flour used in a variety of pancakes.

I have recently returned from a super, short holiday in Gdańsk and had several delicious breakfasts in a restaurant in the Old Town called Gvara- the name is based on the Polish word gwara which means dialect (Polish does not have the letter v !).

One of the breakfasts was buckwheat pancakes with a filling of chopped cucumber and smoked bacon, topped with a soft cooked egg and chives.

On my return I had to recreate this lovely dish.

Ingredients

• Cooked buckwheat pancakes
• Chopped cucumber and smoked bacon filling
• Soft cooked egg – poached or lightly fried
• Chopped chives or the green parts of spring onions.

The hardest part is getting getting all the parts cooked and warm at the same time.

Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients

• 75g buckwheat flour
• 25g plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 125ml of milk (full or semi-skimmed)
• 125ml of water
• 25g of  melted butter
• pinch of salt
• Some extra milk might be needed.

Method

Make these in the same way as standard pancakes adding the melted butter after the batter has been standing for about an hour.

• Beat the eggs and add then them first to the sifted flour.
• Add the milk mixture to the egg and flour mix until you have a batter the consistency of pouring cream.
• Mix the milk with the water
• Add the milk mixture to the egg and flour mix until you have a batter the consistency of pouring cream.
• Leave the batter to stand for at least 1 hour in which time it will thicken, then add a little more liquid.
• Use a special thin pan which you use just for pancakes, mine has a base diameter of 20 cm and is made of steel, once seasoned, just wipe it clean between uses with kitchen roll – never scour it or use detergent.
• Work out how much batter you need for a pancake and find a measure which will then give you a consistent amount – I use a small ladle which holds 45ml.
• Have a dish of melted butter or margarine and sunflower oil for frying so you can add just enough and tip some back if needed.
• Heat the pan – you want a high heat but not too much to burn the pancakes – you will find you have to keep adjusting the heat. (As I cook using gas this is easy to do).

 

• Using the ladle pour the mixture into the pan.
• Tilt the pan so that the mixture covers the surface completely and evenly.
• Cook the pancakes on one side and turn then over – you can make them up one by one or stack then up with a piece of grease-proof paper in between them. You can do this and leave then for later use.

Filling

• Cucumber
• Smoked Bacon
• Peel the cucumber and chop it into little cubes.
• Cut the bacon into small squares and cook these in a frying pan – aiming for cooked but maybe not that crispy.
• Whilst the bacon is still warm, mix it with the cucumber.

 

 

• Place some of the mixture on the cooked pancake  in the centre and out to the sides – but not quite to the edge.
• Fold in two of the opposite sides and then roll up the pancake from the long end to make a long parcel.
• Top the pancake with a soft cooked egg – poached or lightly fried.
• Sprinkle with chopped chives or the green parts of spring onions.

 

Served on Royal Doulton – Carnation – 1982 to 1988.