They are a little less commonly found in restaurants in France: in fact, many crêpe restaurants (aka. “crêperies”) will label their crêpes as “galettes” when they are in fact the classic thin crêpes. So if you are in France, and looking for these thicker “galettes”, make sure you ask the crêpe maker which style they make.

Just like a pancake, and not a crêpe, these are not meant to be folded or rolled up, but simply topped with the ingredients of your choosing. They are traditionally thought of as savory, but in this recipe, they are deliciously sweet, topped with my favorite homemade apple compote recipe.

So what makes it my favorite apple compote recipe?

• I use a variety of apples. Just like with most of my apple baking projects, I like to use a mix of different apple varieties to bring interesting flavors and textures. A Granny Smith will bring tartness and acidity, while a Pink Lady will bring more sweetness, and so on.
• It includes vanilla. Most apple desserts in North America call for cinnamon and nutmeg, but it is more common in France to use vanilla. In this compote, the vanilla brings a perfect smoothness and elevates the natural sweetness of the apples (so you don’t need to use a lot of sugar with it).
• It’s chunky! Not over-mixing the compote and leaving hunks of apple still visible will create a chunky compote with a more satisfying texture.

Serve the compote warm, or cooled on top of a warm buckwheat pancake with a sprinkle of chopped walnuts and a extra drizzle of honey! A great breakfast, brunch, dessert or humble treat, at any time of the day.

Brittany-Style Buckwheat Pancakes and my Favorite Apple Compote Recipe

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 galettes Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.5/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

For the buckwheat pancakes:

1 cup buckwheat flour
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup 2% milk
1 ¼ cup water
1 tbsp butter

For the Apple compote:

3 pounds of apples of mixed varieties (Granny Smith, Gala, Pink Lady, etc.), peeled, cored and cut in 1-inch chunks
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ scraped vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp honey

For serving: chopped walnuts and extra honey

Instructions

Make the Compote. Combine all the ingredients in a large pot over low heat. Cook for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the apples are tender (but chunks are still visible).

Let cool for at least 3 hours before serving (or before placing it into the fridge).

Make the Buckwheat Galettes. In a large bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, baking soda and salt. Combine together the milk and water, and slowly pour them into the dry ingredients, whisking continuously as you go, until you have a smooth batter. Melt a knob of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 cup of batter and tip the pan to spread it around. Once bubbles form on the surface and create tiny holes, loosen the edges with a spatula and gently flip it over. Cook for another minute and transfer to a plate. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth while you make the others.

For serving, top each warm galette with a generous amount of apple compote, a few chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey. 

If you try this Buckwheat pancakes and apple compote recipe, let me know! Leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram. 

And if you enjoy this recipe, you can try this buckwheat pancakes recipe from Auvergne – another delicious regional recipe!

The post Brittany-Style Buckwheat Pancakes and my Favorite Apple Compote Recipe appeared first on Pardon Your French.

The recipe was created by Elisa Blanc (known as “Mère Blanc”) who was the grandmother of legendary Michelin-star Chef Georges Blanc. She invented these small-sized pancakes made from mashed potatoes mixed with milk and eggs, until reaching a liquidy batter consistency, which is then cooked on a pan.

This home-style regional specialty is not so much known outside of Auvergne. In fact, truth to be told, I had never heard of them until last week, when I was looking for some regional French recipes that made use of potatoes.

But after trying them, I can definitely say that they should be famous, both within and outside of France!

They are simple to make, delicious, versatile and definitely bound to become a favorite in my household. The use of mashed potatoes gives a really unique taste and an incredibly delicate texture (and this is also a great way to make use of left-over mashed potatoes).

In Auvergne, these potato pancakes are traditionally meant to be enjoyed with a Bresse chicken with cream and mushrooms (the signature dish of Chef George Blanc). But people enjoy them in so many ways, served on their own with toppings (I enjoyed mine with mushroom, cheese and spinach) or to accompany a meal of meat in sauce, or even fish. They are also perfect used for dessert, with fruits and  a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

These crepes also remind me of blinis, so I can certainly see them being served with smoked salmon or tarama. Really, I think they’d go with almost anything!   

Cooking notes :

• For the potato mash, choose higher starch potatoes (like Russets or Yukon golds). Avoid waxy potatoes.
• If using leftover potato mash, take it out of the fridge at least 1 hour prior to bring it back to room temperature. If the mash is too cold, it will be too firm and results in a batter that is too thick. 

If you try these Potato pancakes from Vonnas recipe let me know!  Leave a comment or share a photo using #pardonyourfrench on Instagram.

Bon Appétit!

Potato Pancakes from Vonnas

Print Recipe

Serves: 20 pancakes Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes 30 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 2 voted )

Ingredients

1 pound of potatoes, peeled (500g)
Salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 medium sized eggs + 4 medium size egg whites
2 tablespoons crème fraiche (or sour cream)

Instructions

Prepare the mashed potatoes - Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Add a sprinkle of salt and add the potatoes (peeled). Boil until tender. Drain and mash until smooth (but thick). Set aside to cool.

Once cooled a bit, add the flour and mix until just incorporated. Add the eggs, egg whites and cream and mix well. The batter should be smooth and liquidy (but not too liquidy, a bit custard-like).

On medium-low heat, melt a dollop of butter in a frying pan.

Add a small ladle of the batter onto the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles start to form (just as if you were making pancakes.) Flip and cook 1 more minute, until golden. Repeat for each pancake.

Try more Crêpe recipes: 

• Fool-proof sweet Crêpes
• Buckwheat Pancakes from Auvergne

The post Potato Pancakes from Vonnas appeared first on Pardon Your French.