Buckwheat crêpes with apples cooked in calvados

Buckwheat adds a delicious sour note that stands up well to sweet fruit and a glug of booze. The apples for this should be an eating variety; one that won’t fall apart when cooked.

SERVES SIX TO EIGHT INGREDIENTS For the pancakes

60g unsalted butter, plus extra for frying

150g plain flour

75g buckwheat flour oven to steam for about four hours – the surface of the pudding should be golden brown. If the water level falls too low, add more boiling water.

Allow the pudding to rest for five minutes, then carefully lift out of the pan and remove the paper or foil.

Turn the pudding out on to a large lipped plate or platter (the juices will spill out to form a “pond” of sauce). It’s highly likely that the pudding will partially collapse, but it’s part of this pudding’s rustic charm and lovely texture.

Serve with cold double cream or hot custard.

Recipe from Sour by Mark Diacono (Quadrille, £25) 1 tbsp granulated sugar Pinch of salt 450ml whole milk 1 tbsp olive oil 125ml beer

4 eggs

For the apples

4 apples, such as Cox’s, russet or Granny Smith’s

50g cold unsalted butter

A tiny pinch of salt

1 tbsp calvados or cider brandy Vanilla ice cream (the best quality you can find), to serve

METHOD

The day before, to make the crêpes, melt the butter and then leave to cool.

Mix the flours, sugar and salt in a food processor. With the motor running, add the milk and oil, then the cooled melted butter and beer, then the eggs, one by one. Leave the batter to rest overnight in the refrigerator.

Peel, core and cut the apples into wedges. Heat a generous knob of the butter in a pan and cook the apples, with a tiny pinch of salt, until they are quite soft.

Add the calvados or brandy, and cook with the apples until the apples are soft but not falling apart. Add the rest of the butter and a little splash of water to make a sauce.

Keep the apples warm but don’t reduce the sauce too much as it provides much-needed lubrication for the crêpes.

When it’s time to cook the crêpes, melt a small knob of butter in a non-stick pan. Swirl the butter around, then spoon in a ladle of batter. Tip the pan around to form a circular pancake. The batter should form lacy holes as it hits the hot fat.

Cook the crêpe for half a minute on each side (the first one, as always with pancakes, will be a disaster). Fold the crêpe into quarters and serve on a plate with the warm apples, some of the juices from the fruit, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Recipe from Sardine by Alex Jackson (Pavilion, £25)