Lacy, toasty, tender, the galette is so popular that there are restaurants throughout the country that specialize in them. Walk through the 15th arrondissement in Paris near Montparnasse train station and every other business will be a crêperie serving galette. There are delicious and more delicious spots to have them. Made with simple ingredients – buckwheat flour, an egg, water, some salt – the galettes are always freshly made, and you can choose from dozens of fillings. In Brittany it was almost always an egg, perhaps a slice of ham, maybe some greens from the garden. Not much more; galette is peasant food from a region that was the most poor in France. It is widely thought that Brittany is the only French region that produces buckwheat, but this is far from true. It is emblematic of the region most likely because the Bretons focused on the grain more than other regions, relying on its hardiness to provide for them in years of famine, when other, less robust and productive grains failed.
SIMPLE FILLING
While I was traveling from farm to farm in Brittany, the best galette I had was seasoned with salted butter and minced shallots. Simple, yes, pure and delicious, yes. And since the filling was lighter than the usual, I got to have two galettes! I often make galette – the batter is easy to work with; the trick is enough clarified butter (or lard if you like), and a good pan, ideally non-stick. And I always offer shallots and salted butter as a filling option. So take a look at the video, and check out the recipe below!
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BUCKWHEAT GALETTES
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon;240g buckwheat flour 240g buckwheat flour
- 2-1/4 cups;560ml water
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter, or more if needed
Instructions
- Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl. Slowly whisk in the water to form a smooth batter. Then whisk in the eggs and the salt. Whisk vigorously for several minutes, until the batter is smooth, and the ingredients are thoroughly combined. The batter will be quite thin but elastic; when you lift the whisk, the batter will drop off in “ropes”. You may use it immediately or let it sit for up to 2 hours, loosely covered. If it sits, whisk it to blend the ingredients first.
- Heat a 10-1/2 inch; 26-1/2 cm nonstick or cast-iron skillet or crepe pan over medium high heat. Brush it lightly with clarified butter.
- Whisk the batter quickly, then pour in about 1/3 cup (80m;) of the batter in the center of the skillet and quickly rotate the skillet to spread the batter as evenly as possible across the bottom. IT is fine if the batter is thicker in the center than at the edges.
- Cook the galette until it begins to curl up on the edges, about 1-1/2 minutes. If it is browning too quickly, reduce the heat slightly. Using your fingers, carefully pick up the edge and gently pull the crepe from the skillet, flip it over, and continue cooking just until it is set on the other side, about 30 seconds. As the crepes are done, stack them on a baking sheet and keep, covered with a tea towel, in a low oven as you continue with the recipe.
- About 10 galettes
