Meal Fifteen - Nathan's Savoury Pancakes

If you're going to have pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, then you may as well have a main and a pudding!

I started with my savoury pancake. Incorporating bacon, chicken, leeks, garlic and cheese, binded together with some cream cheese, this is everything I love about cooking, all wrapped up in a pancake!

A warning for you though - they are very filling! I had to give myself half an hour in between so that I at least stood a chance with dessert.

 

Ingredients:

Batter: (Makes approximately 6 pancakes)

220g plain flour, sieved

4 eggs

400ml milk (with a little water)

4 tbsp melted butter

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp chopped basil

smoked paprika

Filling:

300g chicken thigh fillets

2 leeks, finely sliced

6-7 rashers smoked bacon, chopped

150g shittake mushrooms, sliced

glass of white wine

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

half cup of milk

half pack of cream cheese

Cheese Sauce:

2 tbsp plain flour

butter

olive oil

milk

couple of handfuls of extra mature cheddar, grated

handful grated mozzarella

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 deg Celsius. Then heat up a pan and dry fry the bacon until golden. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until the flesh turns white, add the leeks and garlic and cook through for a couple of minutes. Add a knob of butter if required. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes. Now add the wine and rapidly boil to evaporate the alcohol.

2. Add the cream cheese and stir thoroughly. Add a dash of milk to bind the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Keep over a low heat and add a touch more milk if required.

4. Meanwhile, sieve the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs. Begin to whisk the eggs and flour and add the milk/water a bit at a time. The batter should have a thick double cream consistancy.

5. Add the chopped herbs and the melted butter and whisk once more.

6. Heat another pan until scolding hot. Reduce to a medium heat and lubicate with some butter. Add a couple of labels of batter mix and swirl around the pan until the sides are covered. Wait a couple of minutes and then flip. Cook for the same amount of time on the fresh side.

7. Prepare a plate and several sheets of grease proof paper/tin foil and store each pancake - layered - to keep warm.

8. Once all pancakes are cooked, on a flat surface, spoon a line of the filling into the middle (see picture). Roll each individual pancake and place in a baking dish, with the flap at the bottom to seal in the mixture.

9. Prepare a stainless steel pan and add a couple of knobs of butter and a tbsp of olive oil. Allow the butter to melt then add the flour. Mix vigorously with your whisk and allow the flour to "cook out".

Add milk a little at a time and don't worry if the mixture looks very pastry like - more milk will sort this out. Continue with the milk until the sauce can coat the back of a metal spoon. If it's too thin, add a touch more flour (mixed previously with a little milk) and whisk thoroughly.

10. Add the grated mature cheddar and a large handful of mozzarella. The mozzarella will make the sauce "stretchy" not unlike a fondue cheese.

11. Pour the sauce over the rolled pancakes until covered. Add a small handful of grated mozzarella and sprinkling of smoked paprika and cook for approx. 20 mins or until slightly golden. (See picture.)

12. Serve with some salad or on it's own. Trust me, it's very filling!