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As it’s coming up to pancake Tuesday, I have two lovely recipes to share with you. One is light and fluffy and the other is a thin crepe. Both are ideal for breakfast, lunch or brunch all year round and both are an ideal way to introduce children to the kitchen. I enjoy the mango and banana saute served with ice cream or creme fraiche. This method is good with any fruit, or you could try these hot cakes with bacon and maple syrup, which is a lovely combination.
The smoked salmon crepes, served warm, are delicious. They are a nice, thin crepe and I always use Bord Bia quality assured eggs. The Burren Smokehouse have wonderful smoked salmon. If you’re looking for a tasty twist I also made these crepes previously using Drinagh cheddar cheese from West Cork and Brady Family Ham from Timahoe Co Kildare – very tasty!
A big thank you for all the nice comments about my recent RTÉ series Greenway Food Trails. I enjoyed meeting so many great producers and chefs. And the cycling!
Happy cooking,
Neven
pancakes with Mango and Banana Sauté
Serves four
For the pancakes:
150g (5oz) self-raising flour
¼ tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
1 large egg
250ml (9fl oz) buttermilk
A little sunflower oil, for frying
Natural yoghurt, to serve
For the mango and banana saute:
25g (1oz) butter
1 large, firm, ripe mango, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 large bananas, peeled and thickly sliced on the diagonal
1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
Juice of 1 lime
1 Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Make a slight dip in the middle and crack in the egg, then add the buttermilk and mix until smooth (with a fork or small balloon whisk).
2 Put a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a little sunflower oil, removing any excess with kitchen paper.
3 Spoon three tablespoonfuls of the batter into the heated pan and cook for one to two minutes, until little bubbles rise up to the top.
4 Using a spatula, carefully flip the pancake over and cook for another minute or so, until golden on both sides.
5 As the pancakes are cooked, transfer them to a plate and cover with foil to keep them warm.
6 Wipe the pan with kitchen paper and add a little more sunflower oil. Continue to make pancakes with the rest of the batter. You should get about 12.
7 Once the pancakes have been made, wipe out the frying pan with kitchen paper and add the butter. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, tip in the mango and bananas, tossing to coat.
8 Saute for two to three minutes, until heated through and just beginning to caramelise. Drizzle over the maple syrup or honey and lime juice and continue tossing until evenly coated.
9 Arrange three pancakes on each serving plate. Add a spoonful of yoghurt to each one and spoon over the mango and banana saute to serve.
Smoked salmon and watercress crepes
Serves four
200g (7oz) smoked salmon slices
150g (5oz) creme fraiche
100g (4oz) watercress (wash well and remove any wilted pieces)
Lemon wedges, to serve
For the crepes:
100g (4oz) plain flour
Pinch of sea salt
2 eggs (preferably free-range)
300ml (½ pint) semi-skimmed milk
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 To make the crepes, sift the flour into a large bowl with a pinch of salt and make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into the middle, then pour in about four tablespoons of milk and one tablespoon of oil.
2 Start whisking from the centre, gradually drawing the flour into the eggs, milk and oil. Once all the flour has been incorporated, beat vigorously until you have a smooth, thick paste. Add a little more milk if it’s too stiff to beat.
3 Gradually pour in the rest of the milk and add the chives and lemon rind, then whisk to loosen the thick batter. You should end up with a batter the consistency of single cream, so you may not need all of the milk.
4 Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, then wipe it with oiled kitchen paper. Ladle some batter into the pan, tilting the pan to move the mixture around for a thin, even layer. Quickly pour any excess batter back into the bowl.
5 If the temperature is at the correct level, the pancake should turn golden underneath after about 30 seconds. Flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds.
6 Continue with the rest of the batter, folding the crepes into quarters and covering with foil to keep them warm. Repeat until all the batter has been used – it should make eight crepes in total.
7 Place the plate of crepes, garnished with a few more chopped chives, on the table with a separate plate of the smoked salmon, bowls of creme fraiche and watercress and a little dish of lemon wedges. Allow everyone to help themselves while the crepes are still warm.
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