Buckwheat Crêpes/ Galettes de Sarrasin

French crêpes come in 2 basic varieties: sweet crêpes made from wheat flour and savoury ones made from buckwheat flour (called “galettes”).

Buckwheat adds a bit of texture and nutty flavor to the crêpe. Traditional galettes are made entirely with buckwheat and water (or beer), which is perfect for those who are gluten intolerant, but can be difficult to work with because they are quite brittle.  Most recipes call for a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour, eggs, milk and fat—which produces a more tender crêpe.

Galettes can be filled with pretty much anything: eggs, cheese, meat, seafood, vegetables…One of the most popular combinations is the galette complète, with cheese, ham and a sunny-side up  egg. If you order it in a restaurant, they will expertly fold the edges of the galette into a square package with the egg in the middle. If however, you are like me, and try to perform crêpe origami at home without the advantage of a large crêpe pan, and any degree of skill, what you end up with could be better described as a galette déconstruit...

Buckwheat Crêpes/Galettes de Sarrasin

Adapted from the NY Times and David Lebovitz.

Makes approximately 12-14 crêpes

1 cup whole milk

1/3 cup water

3 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup buckwheat flour

1/3 cup unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon of dried herbs, like herbes de provence (optional)

3 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled.

1. Whisk together milk, water, eggs and salt.

2. Sift in the flours and herbs and whisk well.

3. Add the butter, mixing well.

4. Cover and refrigerate the batter for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

5. When you are ready to cook the crêpes, take the batter out of the refrigerator and allow it to warm up to room temperature. It will be a little thick, but a good whisk will loosen it up. You can always add more milk/water to thin it out as well.

6. Heat an 8-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat.

7. Using a paper towel, lightly spread a little bit of oil over the pan. You want a light coating that is barely visible.

8. Lift the pan off of the heat, and pour 1/4 cup of batter in the middle of the hot skillet, swirling the pan immediately to spread the batter evenly.  

9. Return the pan to the burner. After about 30 seconds-1 minute, you will see that the edges are beginning to pull away from the edge of the pan. Run a spatula around the underside of the crêpe to loosen it, then using your fingers, grasp the edges and quickly flip it over. You can use a spatula, or do a fancy wrist flip, but fingers are much easier.

10. Cook the other side of the crêpe for another10-15 seconds.

11. Repeat with the remaining batter, stirring well before each crêpe, as it tends to settle. It can be difficult to judge the correct pan temperature, so you may need to adjust the heat depending on how the first crêpe turns out.

12. Add your favourite fillings and fold. Suggestions: ham and cheese or smoked salmon with greek yogurt. Serve with a glass of hard cider, such as Kerisac.