3.29.2011

Semolina Pancakes

I can't make any promises, but these semolina pancakes just might impress your friends.  Thin, delicate, and lacy, they are more like a semolina crepe than your average buttermilk pancake stack and are absolutely beautiful on the plate.  And of course, they are delicious.  Eaten as a breakfast food (or breakfast for dinner), the sweetness of a little honey or preserves is the perfect contrast to the savory pancake.  Or, you can do what I did for a dinner party last year, and use them as a wrap for a savory filling, such as chopped grilled chicken or portobello, asparagus, and a soft cheese like taleggio.

A few notes:

Because I have a tiny food processor, I halve this recipe when I make it (Note that I do not recommend the tiny food processor as one's sole food processing device, and if it weren't for my already space-starved kitchen situation, I would have eliminated this challenge some time ago with a larger model).  The important point about this is that though some of the quantities are a bit tricky to halve and, depending upon your collection of measuring devices, may require some estimation, I have never had a problem getting good results.  I usually get about 8 medium sized crepes with this method.  Another thing that I have found is that the results are better if the pan is only oiled every third crepe or so.  The first crepe after oiling is sometimes a little more greasy and less evenly shaped, so plan to set those aside if you want perfect results for guests.  Lastly, this recipe does not take much time, but it does take a little bit of planning.  Don't miss the part about the 1 hour rise time between making the batter and cooking the pancakes when you are planning for your dinner!

You can find Paula Wolfert's Food & Wine recipe for Semolina Pancakes here.