French galettes take on many forms. Some are flat cakes, thin yeast cakes topped with fruit, or even thinly sliced potatoes browned on both sides like a pancake. These, however, are crepe-like as they are made with a thin batter.
As well, I don’t have a crepe grill as large as the picture to the right shows. But most American’s don’t either, therefore, I’ve created the recipe below with examples of galettes smaller than those in France. I used a large cast-iron skillet and it worked well.
Don’t overthink the recipe, it appears complicated only because it’s different. I’d rate it intermediate and not for the impatient cook – but go for it. You’ll make mistakes initially because thin galettes take some skill, but you can eat all the mistakes. The fun, beauty, and learning experience of cooking with your partner or teaching your kids is worth it.
Plus, the health benefit is over the moon – and not just for the buckwheat flour known as a superfood, and the fresh ingredients, but also, when you make food a ritual, and take the time to develop a palate for quality whole foods, it changes your life. The human perspective these days is rushed, judgemental, competitive and stress eats us from inside out.
Eating great food, that actually takes a little time to make is what life used to be about. Family gatherings!
Didn’t grandmother cook for the family? Of course, she did. She taught us when ever we gave her a moment!
I know, I talk rampant about this subject, but I can’t say enough. If you want your diet to work, you have to look at food as more than a meal. It’s a reason, a design, an offering of love, the glue to an amazing life. When you begin to eat with this in mind, you slow down.
Did you know that slowing down, putting your utensils aside, and taking three deep breaths is an exercise health coaches teach their clients.
Think about it, slowing down used to be the norm. There is a natural pause when you’re laughing, arguing, and enjoying your family while eating. It’s kind of ironic that coaches now must teach to breathe between bites! Right?
Crepe Pizza
For kids, you can treat it like pizza, have each chose their favorite ingredients, and the family time together turns into healthy, fun, and precious quality time spent. Voila, you’re back with grandmother!
The rich flavor of buckwheat is an acquired taste, forgotten by many modern families. It used to be a more common flavor in our food groups, however, white flour has pretty much taken over. The south; however, has held on to the love of buckwheat and perhaps this will be an accepted dish there along you of course, you’re brave!
In France, it’s common to find galettes made from 100% buckwheat flour. Traditionally savory, but we’ve done a kind of apple pie that was pretty good. In Brittany, this recipe has thinned the percentage of buckwheat down to accommodate the American palate. So, feel free to do as little as 1/2 buckwheat.
Beware if you’re a traveler, galettes are not easy to reproduce outside of France with the same results, the technique, skill and flour taste differs from country to country, however, this recipe is quite good and resembles a real galette. My French friends have given it a thumbs up.
Galettes like any crepe or pancake are versatile, therefore, as mentioned above, add whatever you like to them, my favorite is spinach and Fetta cheese, cooked and folded as traditionally done, then topped with an over-easy or poached egg. It’s stunning regardless of whether the galette is perfectly shaped or cooke. I will impress.
Recipe Success: two large crepe pans or cast iron are needed to get the job done in good timing, each galette takes about 6 minutes to complete, but it’s not stressful to have two going as the galettes are hardy in the respect overcooking or undercooking is not the end of the galette.
French Galettes
| Step 1 | Tools | |||
| Cheese, grated, swiss or chedder, or what you love most | 4 cups | |||
| Tomatoes, diced | to taste 1-2 | |||
| Eggs | one for each galette |
In separate bowls, grate the cheese, dice the tomatoes, and beat one of the eggs into a small bowl; Set aside.
Chef Notes: in the restaurant, I would prepare each egg ahead of time; the secret to keeping organized is similar to professional settings; being ready. There are many things that will go wrong when items are not ready for cooking. Perhaps it seems like a waste of dishes, to have 4 eggs in 4 different bowls, but if the end results are smooth cooking, then the product will reflect a higher quality.
| Step 2 | Tools | Grams | ||
| Buckwheat flour, | 1 1/4 cups | |||
| All-purpose flour, unbleached | 1 cup | 130 | ||
| Eggs | 3 | 165 | ||
| Sea salt | 1/2 teaaspoon | – | ||
| Milk | 2 cups | – | ||
| Water | 2 cups | – |
In a medium-size bowl; whisk the flour, eggs, salt, and water together, making sure it’s done very well.
Let stand for 30 minutes covered.
Chef Notes: traditionally Bretonnes are made with 100% buckwheat flour or at least a high percentage of it; and most recipes are with all water; however, in the American kitchen dealing with such a delicate crepe is not an easy task. Feel free to practice and use as much buckwheat as desired, there are special wooden tools used to spread the batter very thin on flat crepe griddles, here a large saute pan is used and works good at home, we prefer the galettes not paper-thin even when using 100% buckwheat, but this is a cultural debate the same as how southern biscuits are supposed to be made; each French cook holds to his or her idea of what is best; so choose your own as your personal choice and enjoy them.
Preheated a large crepe pan to high heat; butter well; pour the batter in the center and tilt the pan to spread the batter around to cover the bottom of the pan; reduce the heat to medium-high.
Chef Notes: (if traditional French style is desired; pour batter; starting in the circle and circling the batter; rather than pouring all in the center, spread the batter around with a wooden crepe spreader or metal; long icing spatula. The galette will cook fast but is very fragile when the galette is solid enough to turn, do so by slipping a long crepe spatula under and flipping gently, 1st side is done in 2 minutes second side 1-2 minutes.
After the galette has cooked for about 2 minutes, pour a beaten egg in the center and with a spoon, spread the egg around. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Sprinkle the tomatoes and place avocadoes in the center; continue cooking
Fold the right and left side of the galettes into the center, then crease the top and bottom with a spatula and fold the two long ends together to form a square/rectangle filled galette. This whole process takes about 6 minutes, the galette should be golden and crispy to some degree in spots…
Chef Notes:Traditionally, the galettes are folded leaving space in the center showing what’s inside. It’s easier to close the gaps for new cooks, but have fun trying.
Top with more avocado or cheese, veggies, fried egg or serve as is.
Serve immediately warm as they are best hot.
Variations: ham slices are traditional with cheese, but any combination can be used, my son loves cream cheese and olives or just melted cheese. Hot sauce is a nice addition also. Use the same cooking method as shown above for all ingredients, whether that is cheese, eggs, vegetables, spinach, or whatever your family prefers.
Notes:
- Medical News Today, Aaron Kandola,What are the health benefits of buckwheat?
- Healthline, Atli Arnarson, PhD Buckwheat 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
- Healthline, Kris Gunnars, BSc, Top 10 Health Benefits of Eating Eggs
People don´t believe me but having been raised by my mother she did “hook” me up with the cooking thing, also I should add that this is not fair,It is 5 a.m here in Spain and after seeing and reading now you got me hungry, I´ll try not to wake up the girlfriend while I start cooking and if she curses me out I´ll just say it is your fault for you blog……
Great plate, I´ll have to try to make something similar, go figure how it turns out.
That’s funny! You make me want to get on a plane, I love Spain! You have great ingredients there for these galettes! Let me know how it goes if you try them, and I hope your girlfriend will forgive you when you share what you’ve cooked!! (: Cheers, my friend, to early morning hunger! And thank you!
Cheers to the morning hunger, by the way when you come over here I´ll make the traditional Spanish Paella. I got that one pretty good, you´ll enjoy it, and if not there is always the restaurant next to the house
Good point, we have to learn to breathe again… funny to think of!
Right, it is funny. From now on, you’re going to notice people don’t breathe while they eat. I’ve cursed you, but blessed you because now you’re also, going to think, hmmm am I breathing? Cheer’s and breathe on, my dear friend! (Three times each meal, put fork down, look around, smile and be grateful for something, it will crack you up like you’re doing something sneaky, but meals and digestion will become so much better.
Great idea. I will do that. Thanks Efrona!
Anytime! (:
Oh, thank you! I miss France so much and it has only been a few months. I just found this great store called “al granel” where I live in Granada, Spain and they have every flour imaginable. I am making these this week. Merci merci.
You are very welcome! Thank you for dropping by! I miss France too, with the virus, no chance to travel! Oh, I envy you going to “al granel” I bet they have good stuff…I love food stores, I can spend hours in them! If you make them and have the time, let me know how it goes. Yummm!
Thanks for sharing this!!!
Happy to! And thank you for reading it! Enjoy, it’s really a delicious dish to learn to make! Sometimes we just make them and put chocolate in them. (:
Yum!!!!
Good plate! I’ll try it.
Thanks and Cheers! My son requested them today, so, I’ll make a batch too!