Author Notes
When I was younger and still lived in France, Sunday night in my family was almost always dedicated to a dinner of savoury galettes de blé noir (buckwheat crepes) and sweet crepes. My mother would whip up the galette and crepe batters in no time at all, fry the crepes, flip them over, organise the toppings (tomato slices, ham, grated cheese, sugar, chocolate and jams) in different plates and bowls and we would all ceremoniously enjoy our beloved crepes.
I eventually left home to go to college, and then moved on to Ireland and start a new life here. I do miss the galettes and crepes Sunday evenings at my family home, but now that I can cook my own, I can also perpetuate this tradition with my partner. It means many evenings of delightful crepes dinners!
I know that you will most often find galettes de blé noir (buckwheat crepes) filled with delicious savoury items but I do also love mixing it up a bit and add a sweet topping for a change.
Galettes would also often be enjoyed with a glass of cider (or a mini bowl of it as you find in Brittany in France) and I decided to use apples to get that flavour straight with the galettes. And obviously, mixing the apples with a salted caramel sauce is my option of choice!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did here (or as much as my friends gobbled those buckwheat crepes up...). —Yolène Dabreteau - Crème de Citron
Ingredients
- Buckwheat Crepes Batter
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200 grams
sifted buckwheat flour
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2
free range eggs
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40 grams
melted unsalted butter (plus extra cold butter for frying)
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700 milliliters
full fat milk
- Caramelised Apples Topping
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4
apples (medium size, peeled and cut in small dice)
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150 grams
golden caster sugar
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30 grams
unsalted butter
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1 pinch
fleur de sel / sea salt
Directions
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Put the sifted buckwheat flour in a large baking bowl and form a well in the centre. Add in the eggs and melted butter and whisk constantly while pouring the milk until you get a very smooth batter. Transfer the batter through a sieve into a large jug (this will remove any remaining flour lumps). Cover and put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
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Put a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add in the sugar and butter. Once the butter has completely melted, stir and keep doing so until the crumbly sugar has transformed into a velvety deep amber coloured caramel sauce. This should take 8 to 10 minutes.
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Add the small apple dice to the caramel. Coat well the apple pieces with the caramel sauce. The caramel should harden a bit when in contact with the cold apples. Cook for 10 minutes stirring often until the apples have softened (but not mushed) and the caramel is all melted. Add a pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt and stir well. Transfer into a serving bowl and set aside.
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Put a crêpe pan (or a shallow non-stick pan, 20cm diameter preferably) over a medium heat. Take the batter out and stir it well. Melt a small knob of butter in the pan. When it starts sizzling, pour a small amount of batter (you can use a ladle to do so but do not fill it completely or you will end up with very thick crepes; it should be the equivalent of 2 or 3 tablespoons). Swirl the pan quickly so the batter coats the bottom evenly. When bubbles start forming at the top, delicately turn it over with a spatula.
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Cook the other side for about 30 seconds then slide the crepe on a large plate. Cover with tin foil to keep warm.
Repeat with the rest of the batter.
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Serve 2 or 3 crepes per person topping each crepe with a tablespoon or two of caramelised apples.
Bon appétit!
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