FOR THE PANCAKES
2 oz Buckwheat flour 2 tb Butter; melted
2 oz Plain white flour 1/4 pt Milk
2 Eggs 1/4 pt Water
FOR THE FILLING
2 lb Fresh spinich 2 oz Walnut pieces
1 lg Onion Butter
3 oz Stilton cheese 1 Garlic sliver
FOR THE SAUCE
1 oz Butter 1/4 pt Double cream
1 oz Plain white flour 2 tb Freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 pt Stock 1 ts (heaped) Dijon mustard
Make a smooth batter with the flours, eggs, milk and water, then stir in
the cool melted butter for extra richness and to prevent sticking during
cooking. Use a 6-inch pan and make thin pancakes in the usual way, but be
sure to stir the batter vigorously in between making each pancake or all
the buckwheat flour will sink to the bottom of the mixture. If preparing
ahead, cool the pancakes then stack them (interleaved with greaseproof
paper) and wrap in a foil parcel.
To make the filling, wash and boil or steam the spinach until just tender.
Chop it and squeeze out all the liquid (save the juices for a soup). Chop
the onion finely and sweat it in a knob of butter until it’s deliciously
soft. Stir in the spinach, season with a little salt, lots of pepper and
the garlic. Toast the walnuts and crumbled Stilton into the spinach
mixture to give it savoury flavour and bite. Stuff the pancakes with the
mixture, roll them up neatly and pile them into a lightly buttered gratin
dish. Cover with foil and heat through in the oven for 25-30 minutes at
400 F (200 C) gas mark 6.
Make a smooth rich sauce with the butter, flour, stock (preferably good
chicken stock) and cream. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring once
or twice, then season with the cheese, mustard and salt and pepper. If the
sauce is made ahead, reheat it in a double-boiler for serving, then pour it
over the dish of pancakes just before bringing to table.
Yields
18 servings