Buck Wheat Pancakes With Smoke
Serves 5-8
Ingredients
85g buckwheat flour
85g plain flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
200ml semi-skimmed milk
1 ½ tsp melted butter or light olive oil
2 large egg whites
Small knob of butter, for cooking
To serve:
10-12 slices of smoked salmon
6 tbsp soured cream
3-4 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
Handful of salad leaves (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
01. Mix the flours, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the milk and melted butter or oil. Gradually draw the flour mix into the centre, stirring to combine the ingredients to make a smooth butter. Leave to stand for a few minutes.
02. When ready to cook, whisk the egg white in a small clean bowl to firm peaks, and then fold into the pancake batter. Melt a small knob of butter in each of two non-stick blini pans one large non-stick frying pan, to lightly coat the base.
03. Add a small ladleful of batter to each blini pan (or two to the frying pan) and cook over the medium heat for 1 ½ -2 minutes until golden brown on the underside. Flip the pancakes over and cook on the other side for another minute. Slide into a warm plate and keep warm. While you cook the rest of the batter to make 10-12 pancakes in total. After the first pancake. You probably won’t need to add extra butter to the pans.
04. Divide the pancakes between warm serving plates and drape a couple of smoked salmon slices around. Drop a spoonful of soured cream in the middle and scatter over the capers and salad leaves. If using. Drizzle with a little olive off and grind over some black pepper.
Full English breakfast
Serves 4
Ingredients
Olive oil, to brush and drizzle
4 portabello mushrooms, cleaned
300g vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
Sea salt and black pepper
16 rashers of smoked back bacon
8 large eggs
Dash of white wine vinegar
8 slices of try bread, toasted
Directions
01. Preheat the grill to the highest setting. Half-fill a wide, shallow pan with water and bring to a simmer. Line a large (or two small) baking sheet (s) with foil. Then brush over with a little olive oil.
02. Trim the mushrooms, removing their stalks, then lay. Cap side down. On the baking sheet. Place the wine tomatoes alongside. Drizzle over the little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Lay the bacon rashers in a single layer on the backing sheet (the second one if using two). Place under the grill for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the bacon is golden brown around the edges.
03. To poach the eggs, break each one into a cup or ramekin. Add a dash of vinegar to the pan of simmering water. Whisk the water in a circular motion to create a whirlpool effect. Gently slide the eggs into the centre of the whirlpool, one at a time. Then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Poach for 1 ½ minutes if the eggs were at room temperature, or 2 minutes if they were straight from the fridge. The whites will have set but the yolks should still be runny in the middle.
04. Divide the bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes and rye toasts between warm serving plates. Carefully lift out each poached egg with a slotted spoon, dab the bottom of the spoon with kitchen paper to absorb any excess water and slide on to a rye toast. Grind some pepper over the eggs and serve at once.