Breton galettes

Today is crepe day and Miriam, the Winter Guest, brings us what the French call galette complete: a crepe with cheese, ham and egg. An explosive combination to treat your loved ones to a dinner that's as Breton as it gets. Happy day!

The galettes Breton are savory crepes distinguished by being made with buckwheat (also known as alforfón) flour. Buckwheat is a pseudocereal with a distinctive and intense herbaceous flavor that pairs very well with savory fillings.

The introduction of buckwheat in France dates back to the Crusades; the Crusaders brought buckwheat seedlings to Europe, which became acclimated in Brittany, where the climate is humid and the soil is acidic.

Authentic buckwheat crepes contain only buckwheat flour, plus egg and water, and no wheat. Buckwheat is gluten-free, so these galettes they are suitable for celiacs, but for that very reason the batter holds together much less than a wheat batter and is therefore more difficult to handle on the crepe maker. In many recipes a certain proportion of wheat flour is added precisely to make preparation easier, and that is the option I have chosen.

What they call in Brittany complete galette it is a very thin crepe filled with melted cheese, ham, and egg. It is advisable to use a high-quality frying pan to make these delicate crepes, so it heats evenly and doesn’t stick. Let’s make them.

De Buyer Mineral B Iron Crepe Pan, Mediterránea glass tumbler, Triana glass plate by Mediterránea and Bérard Olive Wood Rake.

Ingredients (for 6 galettes large)

Crepe batter:

• 200gr of buckwheat flour
• 50gr of all-purpose flour*
• 1 egg
• 500gr of water
• 1 tbsp melted butter or oil
• 1 tsp. of salt
• Additional butter for the pan

Filling and finishing, per person:

• 1 egg
• 2 slices of cooked ham or deli meat to taste
• Grated Gruyère cheese to taste

*To make these gluten-free crepes you can replace these 50gr of wheat flour with buckwheat.

Production

1. We put in a bowl all the ingredients and mix thoroughly until smooth. Let the dough rest covered at least 2 hours, because buckwheat firms up a bit as it hydrates, which helps keep the crepes from falling apart.
2. Once the resting time is over, heat the crepe pan over medium-high heat, we brush with melted butter and when it's perfectly hot (I check it with a kitchen thermometer) pour a good ladleful of batter, tilt the crepe pan to spread it well (we can use a crepe spreader) and cook the first crepe, which we already know serves as a test.
3. We may have to adjust the fluidity of the paste: if it were too thick we would add some water. And vice versa, some flour if it were too thin.
4. We curdle the galettes a couple of minutes on each side and we place them on a plate, covered with a cloth.
5. To prepare the complete galettes we take a crepe and put it in the same crepe pan, nice and hot. We toast it a bit and add a handful of grated cheese, one or two slices of cooked ham, and an egg cooked to our liking, fried or on the griddle with butter.
6. We fold the edges of the crepe as shown in the photos and let it heat for a few minutes so the cheese melts. We serve immediately.

De Buyer Mineral B Carbon Steel Crepe Pan, Mediterránea glass tumbler and Bérard olive wood rake.