The season for Breton buckwheat galettes

By Rie Hayashi / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

December 14, 2021

French cuisine chef Yasuyuki Takara shared his recipe for salmon and cream cheese galettes, or crepes made from buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour galettes are a specialty of Brittany in western France.

“You can get fresh stone-milled flour with a rich aroma from the buckwheat grains harvested in autumn,” he said.

Although Bretons and experienced chefs usually make galettes using only buckwheat flour, the process is difficult to emulate at home because the batter becomes too hard to work with.

Takara recommends a 3-to-1 mixture of buckwheat flour and cake flour. This keeps the batter soft while maintaining the buckwheat aroma.

“Honey gives [the galettes] a nice brown color when fried, while butter adds flavor,” he said.

The honey’s sweetness helps the crepe pair well not only with savory ingredients, but also with fruits and sweets.

The galettes should be cooked on a low heat setting as the batter burns easily.

“When you hear it begin to sizzle, it’s ready for the next step,” he said. “Doing this gives the galettes a crispy exterior and a fluffy interior.”

Salmon, cream cheese galette

Ingredients (4 pieces):

75 grams buckwheat flour

25 grams cake flour

3 grams salt

300 ml water

3/4 tsp honey

15 grams unsalted butter

Vegetable oil

12 fresh salmon slices

120 grams cream cheese

20 grams peanuts

20 grams boiled capers

4 eggs

Rocket leaves

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan.

2. Mix cake flour, buckwheat flour and salt in a bowl. Add water and whisk. Add honey and melted butter. Stir well. Let batter chill for about 30 minutes, then stir again.

3. Separate egg yolks from whites. Mix whites together.

4. Season a pan with ½ teaspoon of vegetable oil, reduce heat to low and wipe excess oil off with a paper towel. Pour ¼ of the batter, covering the bottom of the pan. Spread ¼ of the egg whites over the batter when it begins to bubble.

5. Arrange three salmon slices in a triangle in the center of the galette, and place 1 egg yolk in the center. Sprinkle a dash of salt over the yolk and salmon.

6. Cut cheese into 10-gram pieces and place three pieces atop the salmon. Top with capers and crushed peanuts. When the galette’s edges slightly curl up, fold them inward, forming a square shape.

7. Cover the pan and cook for about 1½ minutes. Garnish with rocket leaves.

The buckwheat flour’s rich aroma makes the dish appetizing. While the pastry’s flaky exterior has a crispy texture, there’s also a softness to it. The tanginess of the capers and the cheese’s savory flavor would certainly pair well with a Breton cider.

Shred persimmon for salad

Takara also shared a recipe for a salad using persimmons, which are also in season.

“It makes for a great galette side dish,” he said.

Julienne one-third of a carrot and mix with a pinch of salt. Next, julienne half a persimmon. Mix 2 tablespoons of yogurt, ½ teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 10 milliliters of olive oil and a pinch of salt in a bowl and toss with the carrot and persimmon. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and a pinch of roasted white sesame seeds.