Pancakes are always popular and this week, I have one savoury and one sweet. This savoury recipe is very tasty and the Gruyère cheese has that lovely texture that holds well when heated. You could use a mature cheddar if you like. I like it with the asparagus, but it will be just as tasty without and you could serve with a salad. Brady’s Ham is always one of my favourites. Make sure you get Quality Assured ham and eggs. This is a lovely dish for a late breakfast at the weekend.
Maple syrup and bananas are a classic combination for the sweet pancakes, or you could use Highbank Orchard apple syrup. The buttermilk gives a lovely acidity to the pancake. For the vanilla and lime yoghurt, I have been using the Simply Better Greek Yoghurt. It is lovely and creamy.
Happy Cooking, Neven
Ham, cheese and egg crêpes with griddled asparagus
Serves 4–8
24 asparagus spears
8 eggs
450g (1lb) Swiss cheese, such as
Gruyère or Emmental, thinly sliced
8 slices of cooked ham
1 tbsp olive oil
Pancakes
100g (4oz) plain flour
1 egg
300ml (½ pint) milk
Sunflower oil, for frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg and whisk well with a balloon whisk. Gradually beat in the milk, drawing in the flour from the sides to make a smooth batter.
Leave to rest for five minutes.
2 Trim the asparagus spears and blanch in a pan of boiling water for 1–2 minutes, until almost tender but still with a slight bite. Drain, refresh under cold running water to prevent them from cooking any further and set aside until needed.
3 Heat a little oil in an 18cm (7in) heavy-based pancake or frying pan. Pour in just enough batter to thinly coat the base of the pan. Cook over a moderately high heat for about one minute, until golden brown.
4 Turn or toss the crêpe and break in an egg, then gently whisk to spread it evenly all over the crêpe. Season to taste. Put a layer of cheese on half of the crêpe and allow it to melt for 30–60 seconds.
5 Top with a slice of ham and flip in half, then flip into quarters and keep warm in a low oven loosely covered with foil while cooking the
remainder.
6 This mixture should make eight ham, cheese and egg crêpes.
7 To finish the asparagus spears, heat a cast-iron griddle pan until smoking hot. Toss the blanched asparagus spears in the olive oil and season to taste.
8 Add to the griddle pan and quickly sear on both sides, until heated through and lightly charred.
Arrange the ham, cheese and egg crêpe on warmed plates with
the griddled asparagus and serve at once.
Neven's American-style pancakes with bananas and maple syrup / Claire Nash
American-style pancakes with bananas and maple syrup
100g (4oz) plain flour
pinch of salt
1 large egg
6 tbsp buttermilk butter,
for frying
Sunflower oil, for frying
2 large bananas, sliced
4 tsp maple syrup icing sugar,
to dust
For the vanilla and lime yoghurt
4 tbsp vanilla yoghurt
Finely grated rind of ½ lime
1 Place the vanilla yoghurt in a bowl and stir in the lime rind. Set aside while you make the pancakes.
2 Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Put the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl and make a slight dip in the middle with a fork. Break in the egg and add a little of the buttermilk, then beat until smooth, adding enough of the rest of the buttermilk to make a smooth, thick batter.
3 Add a knob of butter to the heated frying pan with a tiny splash of sunflower oil, then spoon in heaped tablespoons of the batter. Once bubbles begin to appear on the pancakes, turn them over using a metal spatula and cook for another minute or so, until golden. Keep warm on a plate while you cook the remainder.
4 Arrange the pancakes on warmed plates in stacks with the sliced bananas and then drizzle over the maple syrup. Add a dollop of the vanilla and lime yogurt to each one and give them a light dusting of icing sugar to serve.
Read more
Entertaining at Home: a comforting February feast for the family
Neven Maguire: catch of the day
Pancakes are always popular and this week, I have one savoury and one sweet. This savoury recipe is very tasty and the Gruyère cheese has that lovely texture that holds well when heated. You could use a mature cheddar if you like. I like it with the asparagus, but it will be just as tasty without and you could serve with a salad. Brady’s Ham is always one of my favourites. Make sure you get Quality Assured ham and eggs. This is a lovely dish for a late breakfast at the weekend.
Maple syrup and bananas are a classic combination for the sweet pancakes, or you could use Highbank Orchard apple syrup. The buttermilk gives a lovely acidity to the pancake. For the vanilla and lime yoghurt, I have been using the Simply Better Greek Yoghurt. It is lovely and creamy.
Happy Cooking, Neven
Ham, cheese and egg crêpes with griddled asparagus
Serves 4–8
24 asparagus spears
8 eggs
450g (1lb) Swiss cheese, such as
Gruyère or Emmental, thinly sliced
8 slices of cooked ham
1 tbsp olive oil
Pancakes
100g (4oz) plain flour
1 egg
300ml (½ pint) milk
Sunflower oil, for frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg and whisk well with a balloon whisk. Gradually beat in the milk, drawing in the flour from the sides to make a smooth batter.
Leave to rest for five minutes.
2 Trim the asparagus spears and blanch in a pan of boiling water for 1–2 minutes, until almost tender but still with a slight bite. Drain, refresh under cold running water to prevent them from cooking any further and set aside until needed.
3 Heat a little oil in an 18cm (7in) heavy-based pancake or frying pan. Pour in just enough batter to thinly coat the base of the pan. Cook over a moderately high heat for about one minute, until golden brown.
4 Turn or toss the crêpe and break in an egg, then gently whisk to spread it evenly all over the crêpe. Season to taste. Put a layer of cheese on half of the crêpe and allow it to melt for 30–60 seconds.
5 Top with a slice of ham and flip in half, then flip into quarters and keep warm in a low oven loosely covered with foil while cooking the
remainder.
6 This mixture should make eight ham, cheese and egg crêpes.
7 To finish the asparagus spears, heat a cast-iron griddle pan until smoking hot. Toss the blanched asparagus spears in the olive oil and season to taste.
8 Add to the griddle pan and quickly sear on both sides, until heated through and lightly charred.
Arrange the ham, cheese and egg crêpe on warmed plates with
the griddled asparagus and serve at once.
Neven's American-style pancakes with bananas and maple syrup / Claire Nash
American-style pancakes with bananas and maple syrup
100g (4oz) plain flour
pinch of salt
1 large egg
6 tbsp buttermilk butter,
for frying
Sunflower oil, for frying
2 large bananas, sliced
4 tsp maple syrup icing sugar,
to dust
For the vanilla and lime yoghurt
4 tbsp vanilla yoghurt
Finely grated rind of ½ lime
1 Place the vanilla yoghurt in a bowl and stir in the lime rind. Set aside while you make the pancakes.
2 Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Put the flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl and make a slight dip in the middle with a fork. Break in the egg and add a little of the buttermilk, then beat until smooth, adding enough of the rest of the buttermilk to make a smooth, thick batter.
3 Add a knob of butter to the heated frying pan with a tiny splash of sunflower oil, then spoon in heaped tablespoons of the batter. Once bubbles begin to appear on the pancakes, turn them over using a metal spatula and cook for another minute or so, until golden. Keep warm on a plate while you cook the remainder.
4 Arrange the pancakes on warmed plates in stacks with the sliced bananas and then drizzle over the maple syrup. Add a dollop of the vanilla and lime yogurt to each one and give them a light dusting of icing sugar to serve.
Read more
Entertaining at Home: a comforting February feast for the family
Neven Maguire: catch of the day
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