HAM, CHEESE AND MUSTARD CREPES
LOWER YOUR FOOD BILLS AND STILL EAT WELL WITH FOOD EDITOR ELEANOR MAIDMENT In general, pancakes are best eaten as soon as they’re made, but you can cook these crepes in advance then assemble and bake later
Did Pancake Day last Tuesday remind you just how much you love the crepey delights? Even without forward planning, I always have pancake ingredients at home – milk, flour, eggs, butter and perhaps a little sugar – so can have them whenever the urge takes me. I love sweet buttermilk pancakes (200g plain flour, 50g sugar, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 300ml buttermilk, 1 egg and 30g melted butter) with a syrupy fruit compote. Or I’ll make a savoury buckwheat galette, which is native to Northern France and has a lovely nutty flavour from
Rest the batter for 30 minutes for a lighter pancake
gluten-free buckwheat flour (you’ll find lots of recipes online).
Whichever recipe you choose, there are a few tips worth following. Always mix the wet ingredients and dry ones separately, then combine them. There’s no need to overmix, though – the batter should rest for 30 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquid and the gluten to relax for an overall lighter pancake. When it comes to cooking, use a nonstick pan for easy flipping. I like to grease the pan with a little butter, but oil is fine too. And take your time to get the temperature right – thicker pancakes are better at a medium heat and thinner crepes (like this week’s recipe) can take a little higher heat. They’re usually ready to flip when they look drier at the edges, with air bubbles on the top and just golden underneath.
METHOD
Put the flour in a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt. In a jug whisk together 1 medium egg, 150ml milk and 2 tbsp water, then whisk into the flour until combined. Rest for 30 minutes.
Whisk 15g melted butter into the batter.
Set a 24cm-26cm frying pan over a medium-high heat.
Grease the pan with a little butter, then add a scant ladle of batter, immediately lifting and swirling the pan so it covers the base.
(If the batter is too thick add a splash more milk/water.)
Cook for about 1 minute, then use a spatula to help flip it and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate while you cook the remaining crepes, adding a little more butter each time.
Spread the middle of each crepe with a little mustard
then scatter over the cheese and some torn ham. Fold in the sides, to make a square with some of the filling visible in the middle. Place on a baking tray and cook for 6-8 minutes until melted and golden.