Pear and Wild Rice Pancakes with Whipped Maple Butter

Cook the wild rice

• 1/3 cup wild rice, raw
• kosher salt
• 2 cups water

1. Bring 2 cups salted water to a boil, add rice and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat, drain and cool.

Prepare and Cook Pancakes , and Whip butter

• 2 Anjou Pears *, peeled, chopped in 1/3" dice (chop just before cooking or pears will brown)
• ½ teaspoons Crushed/chopped Dried Rosemary
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 Scallions finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Parsley, soaked,drained,dried and minced
• 3 tablespoons Pecans finely chopped
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/3 Cup AP Flour
• 1/3 Cup Fine Cornmeal , stoneground preferred
• 2 tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or yoghurt or cream or milk )
• 2 tablespoons Large Egg beaten lightly
• pounds kosher salt
• cooked wild rice from above
• 1/2 pound Unsalted butter, softened
• Grade B Maple Syrup
• 4-8 ounces unsalted butter for cooking pancakes

1. In hot melted butter over high heat, add pears and rosemary. Stir, adjust to medium high heat, and cook until tender but not mushy. Add scallions and parsley for a few minutes, turn off heat , then let cool. Add pecans.
2. Mix together the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine milk and egg . Quickly but thoroughly, add milk mixture to flour mixture. Quickly add cooled pears mixture, wild rice, salt and pepper.
3. Drop batter by 1/2 Tablespoons on a hot buttered non-stick griddle or pan. Cook over medium heat on one side til bubbles show, then flip and cook until golden brown and cooked through. .
4. While pancakes are cooking (or in advance) whip butter til light, add pinch of salt, and maple syrup to taste. Remove to small bowl . Pipe or spoon onto pancakes when served
5. Notes: *If pears are very ripe, saute first over high heat -to remove excess liquid before adding other ingredients.