We fill thin buckwheat crêpes with golden-brown mushrooms, thyme and nutty beurre noisette. A fresh green salad and toasted buckwheat groats complete the dish.
Buckwheat has a distinctive, gently earthy flavour that pairs well with mushrooms and browned butter. The crêpes are thin and pliable, with a little more bite than crêpes made with wheat flour alone. Buckwheat is often associated with galettes from Brittany, but recipes and proportions vary. This version, made with milk and egg, is our own soft crêpe variation: made to be filled and folded, rather than to represent one specific regional preparation.
Mushrooms are available year-round; in autumn, there is often a wider selection of fresh varieties. Chestnut mushrooms provide a firm, earthy base. A few oyster mushrooms or shiitake can add variety in texture and flavour, but don’t use too many types at once: they don’t all cook at the same speed. Cut larger mushrooms into similar-sized pieces and leave plenty of room in the pan. If the pan is overcrowded, moisture is released and the mushrooms steam rather than brown. So cook them in two batches if needed.
Beurre noisette is butter that is gently melted and then heated until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Those browned bits give the butter its deep flavour; once they turn dark brown, the butter can taste bitter. Take the pan off the heat in good time, as the butter will continue cooking briefly. Here, it makes a rich finishing touch for the mushrooms. Thyme brings a savoury, herbal note, while lemon in the salad adds freshness.
The toasted buckwheat groats are small, but they add a distinct crunch to every bite. Toast them in a dry pan and keep an eye on them: they colour quickly. Use uncooked, hulled buckwheat groats, not cooked buckwheat or buckwheat flour. Don’t have any groats? Leave them out or use roughly chopped hazelnuts; the flavour will change, but they’ll also add a crisp accent. For the crêpes, semi-skimmed milk can be replaced with an unsweetened plant-based drink, though the colour and flavour may differ slightly.
Serve the crêpes straight away, with the salad on the side so it stays fresh and crisp. You can also prepare the components ahead: cover and refrigerate the cooked crêpes and mushrooms, then reheat them separately until piping hot. Keep the salad and toasted groats separate; this keeps the leaves firm and the crunch intact. A frying pan works for both the crêpes and the mushrooms, but cook the crêpes over medium heat and the mushrooms over high heat.
Whisk the buckwheat flour, eggs, milk, water and ½ tsp salt in a bowl until smooth. Leave to rest for 20 minutes. Stir the batter again before cooking.
Meanwhile, toast the buckwheat groats in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, until fragrant and lightly coloured. Shake the pan regularly, then tip the groats onto a plate.
Wipe the mushrooms clean and slice or cut them into roughly equal-sized pieces. Finely chop the shallot and strip the thyme leaves from the stems.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Cook the mushrooms in one or two batches for 5–7 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t stir them constantly. Add the shallot and thyme for the final minute. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer the mushrooms from the pan.
Melt the 75 g butter in a small pan over medium heat. Let the butter foam and colour; stir or swirl the pan until the milk solids are golden brown and the butter smells nutty. Remove from the heat immediately.
Heat a little of the 30 g frying butter in a frying pan of about 22 cm over medium heat. Pour in a thin layer of batter and swirl the pan to coat the base. Cook the crêpe for about 1 minute, flip it and cook the other side for 30–45 seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter, using more frying butter if needed.
For the salad, whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, extra-virgin olive oil and ½ tsp salt. Just before serving, gently toss the baby leaf salad with the dressing.
Divide the mushrooms between the crêpes and fold them in half or into quarters. Spoon the beurre noisette over the top and sprinkle with the toasted buckwheat groats. Serve with the salad and freshly ground black pepper.
Main courseSweet corn, a splash of cream and a squeeze of lime make a hearty soup with both tender and whole kernels. Crispy tortilla strips, cilantro and chili oil bring freshness, heat and crunch to every bowl.
Main courseA hearty bowl of tender pearl barley, sweet cumin-roasted carrots and golden-brown chickpeas. The fresh sauce of herbs, lemon and tahini brings it all together, while toasted sesame adds a little crunch.
Main courseGolden brown and crisp at the edges, soft inside: these courgette and corn fritters get a fresh lift from lime yogurt and a little heat from chili oil. Serve them as a main course with a crunchy salad.