To make Savoury Valentine’s Pancakes you will need:
Serves 4 (makes about 16 pancakes. If you are only serving two people, as I was for a romantic tête à tête, you can freeze the left over pancakes for another day. It’s not worth making less mixture as half an egg is a pain! Do remember to halve the quantities for the filling if you are doing this)
For the Pancakes
1 free range egg
125g plain flour
400ml milk
salt and pepper
rapeseed oil for frying
For the Filling
1 red onion, finely chopped
200g mushrooms, finely sliced
200g fresh baby leaf spinach, washed and drained
3 tbsp curd cheese/cream cheese/ricotta
2 generous tbsp creme fraiche
2tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 generous tbsps fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsps grated vegetarian parmesan style cheese
You will also need a good non stick pan, non stick baking parchment and a heart shaped cutter
Method
- Whisk the egg, milk and flour together until you have a smooth batter, add a pinch of salt and a generous grinding of fresh black pepper
- Heat a little oil in a heavy bottomed, non stick frying pan until a heat haze rises (my pan is 20cm in diameter)
- Pour a small ladleful of pancake mix into the hot pan and tip to cover the bottom
- Cook until the top sets, flip the pancake over and cook the other side
- When the pancakes are done stack them up between layers of greaseproof paper and put to one side to cool
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Fry the onion in a little oil until soft but not browned
- Add the mushrooms and fry until they release their juices, add the spinach and garlic and fry until the spinach wilts
- Remove from the heat, stir in the curd cheese, Dijon, creme fraiche and parsley and leave to cool a little
- Cut heart shapes out of the pancakes (the cut off bits needn’t go to waste, pop them in the freezer and use them to make a pancake lasagna for lunch on another day)
- Line a baking tray with non stick baking parchment and begin layering up the hearts. A heart at the base then a spoonful of filling spread over it and another pancake on top. Use four pancakes per person if they are this size. Finish with a spoonful of filling and a sprinkling of parmesan style cheese
- Put the stacks into a preheated oven (180°C) for about 20 minutes until the cheese is browned and the pancakes are piping hot.
Serving Suggestion
I served ours with boiled, minted, buttery new potatoes, fennel and almond salad (recipe to follow) and beetroot marmalade.
what a great idea! and another excuse to have pancakes tomorrow – yum yum.
Hoorah!
Fabulous idea! And they look and sound delicious, too (and I’m not the biggest mushroom fan).
I’d love you to have a go at them Tasha! If you do, please let me know how you get on 🙂
You have a very lucky family. I would never go to this much trouble for supper on a week night 🙂 it looks delicious
What a lovely idea! They make my plain cheese pancakes look very mundane!
I love the sound of creamy mushrooms and spinach. Such a great combination x
It works so well, match made in heaven! x
ooh yes! I do love a savoury pancake. My mouth is watering!
I quite fancy them again myself now Helen!