Apricot brandy pancakes

A simple and impressive recipe to serve for pancake day. Although apricots are obviously at their best in the summer you should be able to find imported ones from countries such as South Africa and Chile.

They tend to be a touch unripe which is where the apricot brandy comes in handy!

Serves 3-4

For the pancakes
110g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 large fresh free-range eggs
275ml semi-skimmed milk
25g cooled melted butter + another 25g butter for greasing the pan and brushing the pancakes
Icing sugar

For the apricot filling
500g fresh apricots
3 heaped tbsp soft set apricot jam, preferably unsweetened
4 tbsp apricot brandy + extra to serve
Lemon juice to taste (optional)

You will also need a medium sized pancake pan

First make the batter. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a hollow in the centre. Beat the eggs lightly with the milk then add 25g cool melted butter. Gradually pour into the flour stirring all the time and beat well with a wooden spoon. (Or make the batter in a food processor or blender) Set the batter aside for half an hour while you make the filling.

Halve and stone the apricots and cut into small chunks. Put in a saucepan with the apricot jam and apricot brandy, cover with a lid and cook until the apricots are soft but still holding their shape. Check for sweetness adding a little lemon juice if you want them sharper or a splash more apricot brandy if they need sweetening and set aside.

Beat the pancake batter again. Heat a pancake pan until hot, add a small chunk of butter and rub it round the pan with some scrunched up kitchen towel. Scoop out a small cup or ladleful of batter and tip it into the pan swirling it round quickly so the whole base of the pan is covered with batter.Cook for about 30 seconds till the edges begin to brown then flip over with a palette knife or spatula and cook the other side. Stack the pancakes on a plate as you make them interleaved with sheets of greaseproof paper so they don’t stick.

Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. Butter a shallow ovenproof dish. Fill each pancake with a tablespoon of the apricot filling and roll up or fold into four. Arrange the filled pancakes in the dish and brush with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the pancakes are hot through and the tops crispy. Sift over a little icing sugar. You could serve the pancakes with an extra splash of apricot brandy and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Suggested match: I created these to go with an apricot or peach-flavoured beer but you could also serve a dessert wine such as a southern French muscat or a Jurançon with them.

For other wine matching suggestions read What's the best pairing for pancakes?

Image © Natasha Breen - Fotolia.com though is not of the actual recipe - just like it!

Buckwheat galettes with spinach béchamel

Although you can find any kind of recipe online these days nothing beats a beautiful cookbook and the new Fern Verrow book by Herefordshire farmers Jane Scotter and Harry Astley is one you're definitely going to want to own.

This recipe comes from the spring section and it's good to be reminded what a delicious meal pancakes can make.

Scotter and Astley write: The nutty taste of buckwheat flour is key for these traditional French savoury pancakes. There are many different fillings, but we particularly like this one.

Serves 4

125g buckwheat flour

50g plain flour

a pinch of sea salt

1 egg

175ml milk

175ml water

25g butter, melted

For the spinach béchamel

500g spinach, tough stalks

removed

500ml milk

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 bay leaf

a little grated nutmeg

40g butter

40g plain flour

150ml double cream

100g Comté or Gruyère cheese,

grated

sea salt and black pepper

Put the buckwheat flour, plain flour and salt into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Break the egg into the well and whisk while you slowly add the milk and water. Keep whisking out any lumps as you gradually draw all the flour into the liquid. When the batter is smooth, stir in the melted butter. If you can, allow the batter to sit in the fridge for half an hour before you cook the galettes.

Meanwhile, prepare the spinach béchamel. Bring some salted water to the boil in the largest pan you have. When it is boiling rapidly, immerse the spinach in it for 30 seconds, using a pair of tongs to dunk the leaves so that they all soften. Drain the spinach through a colander and run some cold water over it until it is cool enough to handle. Squeeze out as much of the moisture as you can, then chop it up and set aside.

Put the milk, onion, bay leaf and nutmeg into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 20 minutes or so. Then, in another saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the flour to make a roux. Cook the roux over a gentle heat for a minute or two, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it starts to brown and smell nutty, then gradually strain the infused milk into it, whisking until the sauce thickens. Simmer for a few minutes, then add the cream and simmer for a minute or two longer.

Remove from the heat and stir in half the grated cheese plus the chopped spinach. Season to taste and set aside.

Next cook the galettes. Heat a 20cm frying pan or pancake pan over a medium heat and use a wad of paper towel to rub a little butter around it. Ladle in about 2 tablespoons of the batter, quickly lifting and tilting the pan to spread the batter evenly. Once the underside of the galette is brown, flip it over and cook for a minute or so longer, then transfer to a plate. Repeat the process, adjusting the heat and the cooking time until you find a good rhythm.

You can pile the galettes on top of each other as they’re done; they will not stick. You should have 8–10 galettes altogether.

Heat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5 and lightly butter a baking tray. Place a heaped tablespoon of the spinach béchamel in the centre of each galette and spread it out a little. Fold the galette in half and then in half again, so you end up with a triangle. Arrange the parcels snugly on the baking tray, add any remaining filling and sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until thoroughly heated through. Serve with a green salad.

What to drink: I prefer white wines to red with spinach and would probably go for a Chablis or a dry Italian white such as a Gavi

From Fern Verrow: a year of recipes from a farm and its kitchen by Jane Scotter and Harry Astley. Photography by Tess Traeger. Published by Quadrille at £25. You can buy their produce from the Spa Terminus in Bermondsey every Saturday. For more information visit fernverrow.com