Soaked Buckwheat Pancakes/Crêpes

I have to share this incredibly simple recipe, because it is too good for you and so easy to whip up in the morning. It only requires a little soaking the night before. I like to make a bunch, and then save them in the fridge to use in wraps or savoury pancakes for meals to come…

For those of you who have not yet gotten into cooking with buckwheat yet, it’s about damn time. While some might assume it is associated with wheat, it is not even distantly related and in fact is not a grain at all. It is a seed related to rhubarb and sorrel, that is full of protein and flavanoid antioxidants – an incredible nutrient rich alternative to most grains. If you use it with the right combination of accomplices, it will compliment flavours rather than taking over with its strong earthy quality. I like to play with tender Japanese flavours, which always seem to sit with buckwheat seamlessly.

If you want to know more about the endless benefits of buckwheat i found this blog rather informative: http://buckwheathealth.wordpress.com

I made these scrumptious pancakes with it’s sister shrub – rhubarb, some strawberries and woody spices like cinnamon for a complimenting compote 😉  Also really great with stone-fruits of any sort.

You will need:

• 2 cups buckwheat groats, soaked in plenty of water overnight
• optionally, you can add about 1/2 a cup of rice flour for more glassy smooth pancakes (you will just need to balance out the texture with more milk or water)
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk (ish) (you can substitute milk with water, soy etc)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• good pinch of salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon (and/or any other spices you desire – I love to use cardamom when I have the pancakes with banana/yoghurt/mango for an indian groove)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (I know you’ll be havin’ sweet stuff on top, but this helps with caramelization in the pan)

Drain the soaking liquid from your groats. Place them in a food processor and blend for a few minutes until mixture is quite smooth. You can opt to add rice flour here. Add in all the remaining ingredients, minus the milk and blend. Add milk slowly in order to get the right texture and blend for a further minute. If you are making crêpes, add more eggs and milk.

Use a good thick-bottom pan, heat on medium for a good few minutes and fry in plenty of butter, until golden delicious!

For the strawb-rhubarb compote, I just slowly stewed down the chopped fruits with some orange zest & juice, a touch of brown sugar and cinnamon until mushy-gushy, but not too soft. Then served with more butter of course, and a dollop of creme fraiché.