Herb pancakes with gruyère sauce
Author: www.tenderstem.co.uk
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- for the shallot confit
- 400g shallots, peeled & chopped
- 100g butter
- sea salt and pepper
- for the pancakes
- 2 eggs
- 150ml milk
- 100g flour
- 10g parsley
- 10g chives
- 10g chervil
- for the béchamel
- 1 shallot
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 500ml milk
- 50g butter
- 50g flour
- 50g gruyère cheese, grated
- 50g Dijon mustard
- the rest
- 250g Tenderstem broccoli
- 50g gruyere cheese, grated
- baby watercress leaves
Method
- For the shallot confit: Melt the butter in a pan and add the shallots. Season with sea salt and pepper and cook slowly on a low heat, not allowing them to colour, for 30 mins until very tender.
- For the pancakes: Make a basic pancake batter ahead of time by mixing the eggs with the milk then adding the flour and beating until velvety smooth. Add the chopped herbs and allow to rest for 30 mins. In a hot non-stick pan melt a small knob of butter and add enough batter for one pancake. Cook for 2 mins per side. Allow 2 per person. Keep these between layers of greaseproof paper until required.
- For the béchamel sauce: Cut the shallot in half and then stick the bay leaf to one half of the shallot with the cloves. Place the milk and shallot in a pan and warm up. In another pan, make a roux with the butter and flour, add the hot milk gradually and beat with a whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper then add half the cheese and the mustard to finish. Leave in the pan until required.
- For the Tenderstem: Blanch Tenderstem in boiling salted water for 2 mins and then refresh by placing in ice cold water. Allow to drain on kitchen paper. You can if you like chargrill the Tenderstem to give an extra dimension of taste.
- To assemble the dish: In a clean bowl add half the shallot confit and one third of the béchamel sauce. Add the drained Tenderstem, check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Roll each piece of Tenderstem along with the sauce and shallots into a pancake and place in an ovenproof dish ready to warm up. Cook at 180C/Gas 4 for 8-10 mins, checking they are hot on the inside.
- To serve: Remove the hot pancakes from the dish and place 2 per person in the centre of hot plates. Pour the remaining sauce over the pancakes then add the remaining shallot confit. Garnish with grated gruyere and baby watercress leaf.
