The 20-Minute Table
64

Buckwheat Galette with Egg & Greens

One Pan French (Breton) Serves 44 prep · 14 cook Vegetarian 18min

A lacy buckwheat pancake with the egg cracked straight onto it and the four sides folded in to frame the yolk.

Why it works

Buckwheat has no gluten to relax, so a batter thin enough to pour like single cream needs no resting at all — the flour hydrates in the two minutes the pan takes to heat. Cracking the egg onto the cooked side lets it set in the galette's own heat while the underside crisps, so nothing has to be turned twice.

Method

  1. Whisk the flour, water, one egg and the salt in a bowl until smooth. It should coat the whisk and run straight off, as thin as single cream; add a splash more water if it clings. Thin batter needs no resting.
  2. Melt a knob of the butter in a 24 cm (10 in) pan over medium-high heat. Pour in a quarter of the batter and swirl at once to the edges. Cook 90 seconds, until the surface dulls and the edge lifts cleanly.
  3. Flip it, scatter over a quarter of the spinach and cheese, and crack an egg into the middle. Season with pepper and nutmeg.
  4. Fold the four sides in to make a square frame around the yolk. Cover and cook 2 minutes, until the white is opaque, the yolk still moves and the base is crisp underneath.
  5. Slide onto a plate and repeat with the rest, buttering the pan each time. Eat as they come, rather than holding them warm.

For the toddler

This suits them nearly as it is. Cook one galette with only a scant scattering of the cheese, since Gruyère carries a fair amount of salt, and leave the pepper and nutmeg off. Give their egg an extra minute under the lid so it sets firm, then chop it through the spinach and cut the folded galette into finger-length strips. A quarter of one is about right.

How the toddler notes work

Chef’s notes

Swap

Half buckwheat and half plain flour makes a softer, less earthy galette that folds more easily.

Make it faster

Whisk the batter the night before; it keeps three days and only needs a stir.

On the side

Add a slice of ham or a spoon of soft goat's cheese under the egg.

Leftovers

Cook plain galettes with what is left of the batter, stack between baking paper and reheat in the dry pan.