Overnight Buckwheat Crepes with Raspberry Maple

Buckwheat ferments really easily. In this recipe, fermenting not only makes the crepes easier to digest but also gives them a lovely light texture, which you just don’t get if making and cooking the crepes right away. While it does require a little forward planning to whisk the flour and water together the night before, the recipe is super-straightforward and takes mere minutes to pull together the following morning. Use honey or brown rice syrup or apple syrup in place of maple, if desired. This dish is gluten and dairyfree if cooked in oil and served with coconut yoghurt.

CREPES

1 cup buckwheat flour

3 large free-range eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional) 2 tablespoons olive oil

Olive oil, coconut oil, butter or ghee, to cook

RASPBERRY MAPLE

1 cup fresh or locally grown frozen raspberries ½ cup pure maple syrup

TO SERVE

Plain thick or coconut yoghurt

Crepes: Place the buckwheat flour into a bowl and gradually whisk in 1¼ cups of cold water until smooth. Cover with a large plate and set aside on the benchtop overnight (approximately 12 hours) in the warmer months, or up to 24 hours in the cooler months (in which case, it’s best to whisk together the morning before you want to eat the crepes).

When ready to use, whisk in the eggs, vanilla and olive oil to form a smooth, thin batter.

Raspberry maple: Combine the raspberries and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat and cook, stirring often, until the raspberries have released their juices.

Remove from the heat and set aside until needed. You can do this in advance and store it in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Heat a 20cm frying pan over a mediumhigh heat. Add the teeniest bit of oil, butter or ghee, swirling the pan to coat evenly (tip out any excess, if you need to, and save for the next crepe). Pour in approximately ¼ cup batter, tilting the pan to coat evenly with a very thin layer. Cook for 30-45 seconds, or until the underside is golden and the edge starts to lift away from the side of the pan. Flip with a metal fish slice or palette knife and cook for a further 15-30 seconds. Fold into quarters and transfer to a plate. Cook the remaining batter, stacking crepes on top of each other and covering with a clean tea towel.

Serve with raspberry maple and plain thick or coconut yoghurt. Makes 8 crepes