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Home » Food and Wine » Buckwheat Galettes Recipe: Savory Crêpes, Three Ways

Buckwheat Galettes Recipe: Savory Crêpes, Three Ways

October 17, 2013 Food and Wine

 One of the greatest ways I keep a connection to my travels is through cooking.  In this new series, “View from My Plate,” I’ll be sharing the encounters with global food that occur both on my travels and in my kitchen.

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Is there anything more French than crêpes? Maybe. They’re called galettes. And I have a savory, buckwheat galettes recipe for you!

Galettes 1

Originating in the Bretagne (Brittany) region by the coast, these savory crêpe-like (but not crêpe!) wonders were only just introduced to me by a French friend in her home kitchen on my last visit to Paris. The term ‘galette’ is used in French cuisine to describe a flat, round cake.  Generally I have found galette to refer to the buckwheat thin pancake I first ate, but more specifically these can be known as Breton galettes. The buckwheat flour gives them a nutty flavor and a heartier texture, and the beauty is…once you get the galette batter down, there are endless possibilities for fillings!

First, you’ll create the galette batter:

  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup buckwheat flour
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (I got the best results with white whole-wheat flour.)
  • Pinch or two of salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)

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Mix the first three ingredients together and then add the flour and salt.  Mix thoroughly, whisking encouraged.  Let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of two hours, preferably overnight. Coat a large, flat frying pan with a small amount of butter before adding a half cup of batter to the center of the pan. Use a ladle or simply tilt the pan until the batter is completely spread out.  Remember, thinner is better. Cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat or until the edges begin to brown.  Flip the galette to the other side and cook thoroughly or begin adding your fillings.

Here are three of my favorite flavor combination discoveries so far:

 

The classic… Complète: ham, egg, gruyère or comté cheese

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After flipping your galette once, crack an egg in the center and let it begin to cook. Slice or tear the ham into small pieces and intersperse with generous amounts of grated gruyere.  When the egg is just about cooked, fold the galette around the contents and serve.

The decadent: Leek confit with chèvre (goat cheese)

Leek confit

(prepare ahead of time) (Adapted from Bon Appetit)

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 4 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in large pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks; stir to coat. Stir in salt. Cover pot; reduce heat to low. Cook until leeks are tender, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Uncover and cook to evaporate excess water, 2 to 3 minutes.

photo 1-1

You can also choose to lightly caramelize them at this point but adding a pinch of sugar and letting them brown slightly before removing from the heat. Add goat cheese to galette in pan, sprinkling leek confit on top.  Fold and serve!

The slightly sweet: Toasted hazelnuts, honey, and ricotta

Galettes 3

Toast a handful of hazelnuts (substitute walnuts or pine nuts to switch it up!) in a dry pan for 1-2 minutes.  Spread ricotta across galette in pan, sprinkle nuts on top and drizzle with honey.  Fold and serve! It took several times for me to get the galette prep and execution just right.  Once you’ve got it down, it becomes a fun and easy way to play with a tasty meal and connect with French culture.  I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

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About Anne

Anne Lowrey is an award-winning travel writer based in San Francisco.

After spending a year in the world, she insisted on building a life at home she loved as much as she loves travel. The result was a move to SF, which she affectionately calls her “soul city.” She believes in the balance of and connection between time spent at home and abroad.

Comments

  1. Jonelle Hilleary says

    October 18, 2013 at 3:47 am

    Anne, I should know better than to read your posts at night before bed… I’ll be having dreams of galettes, comte cheese, fruit compote tonight! Lovely ideas and photos- I see a brunch in my future with your inspiration! Thanks… yum.

    Reply
    • Anne says

      October 18, 2013 at 5:43 pm

      Aww thanks! What sweet dreams…let me know if you try them! It’s easier than it seems! 🙂

      Reply

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