Crêpe Complète (ham and Cheese Buckwheat Pancake)

Name: Crêpe Complète (ham and Cheese Buckwheat Pancake)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 75 g (5/8 cup) buckwheat flour; 60 mL (1/4 cup) semi skimmed milk; 120 mL (1/2 cup) water; 5 eggs (1 for the batter, 4 to serve); Pinch of salt; 4 slices ham; 100 g grated gruyere cheese; Chopped chives, to serve (optional)

by @cheese.and.han | Hannah

4 crepes

45 min

Whilst I do love sweet pancake toppings... I have to admit I am more of a savoury girl at heart. My favourite fillings are of course cheese and ham, and I can definitely see why the French refer to the filling combination in this recipe as a Crêpe Complète, the complete crêpe, because it contains my fave cheese and ham, topped with a runny fried egg.

The pancake batter here uses buckwheat flour, which is a lovely, brown-tinged, naturally gluten free flour. It has a very savoury, almost nutty flavour, which I love with this filling combination. Technically, using this flour means this is in fact not a crêpe or indeed a pancake, but instead a galette.

Feel free to change it up and add whatever fillings you like - wilted spinach and a blob of crème fraiche works really well, caramelised onions and goats cheese, or even seafood. Let me know if you make it!

crpe complte ham and cheese buckwheat pancake

This is what I mean by 'swirl the egg white around the pancake to speed up the cooking'

Crêpe Complète (ham and Cheese Buckwheat Pancake)

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Recipe details

Yield 4 crepes
Time spent: Prep time: 30 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 45 min

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Instructions

Whisk together the flour, milk, water, 1 egg and a pinch of salt until there are no lumps. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes before using.
Take your largest, non-stick frying pan and warm through on a moderate heat. Add some butter or spray with oil to lightly grease. Add 1/4 of the batter mixture, and swirl around the pan to get a circle shape. Cook for a minute or two, until the underside is golden. Flip the pancake and start cooking the other side.
As soon as your turn the pancake, crack an egg into the centre. You will see the white starting to cook. Swirl the thicker parts of the white around a little, to thin it out and allow it to cook faster. After around a minute, when the egg white has mostly turned from translucent to white and opaque, scatter the grated cheese and torn pieces of the ham around the egg.
Once you are happy with the cooking of the egg, and the underside of the pancake is golden, fold over the round edges in four sections to make a square parcel. The sides should stick down to the melted cheese and the egg white.
Serve up with a scattering of chives (if using), or a crisp green salad. Bon appetit!

Tips

As the cooking of each crepe is quite quick, it is helpful to have all the ingredients laid out in front of you before you begin.
If you are making these for a large crowd, pre-cook the galettes in advance, and warm through each one, cooking the egg as you do.

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Crêpe Complète (ham and Cheese Buckwheat Pancake)

Crêpe Complète (ham and Cheese Buckwheat Pancake)

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Crêpe Complète (ham and Cheese Buckwheat Pancake)

Crêpe Complète (ham and Cheese Buckwheat Pancake)

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Ingredients

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Tips

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