Corn pancakes with mushrooms - December 28, 2010

Sophisticated and yet homey, rich and yet delicate; there is nothing more you can ask for in this mushroom pancake to feel totally pleased with yourself. Restriction forces you to be creative. Having a vegetarian visitor flown in across the continent meant not only my mouth – critiquing and eating can be quite demanding, especially at the same time – but also my hands needed to be exercised in order not to be called a bluff.

The word, “vegetarianism,” has a rather dour and drab connotation in the die-hard foodies’ world, does it not? Therefore, it is more preferable to recognize simply that many delectable dishes do not involve meat. After all, a perfect croissant, or a chocolate croissant, or even a croissant aux amandes are, in fact, vegetarian; even if you add a bowl of café au lait…

 

Ingredients: To make 4 servings

Pancakes

• Corn flour: 2/3 Cup
• Whole wheat flour: 1/3 Cup
• Organic pastry four: 1/2 Cup
• Egg: 1
• Milk: 1/2 Cup and up (the same thickness as pancake batter)
• Baking powder: 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt: 1/3 teaspoon

Mushrooms

• Oyster mushrooms: 2 Packs, Broken roughly
• Portobello mushrooms: 2 Caps, Sliced
• Shallot: 1, Diced
• Butter: 1/2 Tablespoon

Layering and Finishing

• Camembert or Goat cheese: Enough, Sliced
• Eggs 4, Poached
• Chives:  As much as you like, chopped
• Truffle oil: 1/2 teaspoon per serving
• Truffle salt: Optional

Preparation

 

Pancakes

1. Combine all the flours, baking powder and salt and let it rest for half an hour (not absolutely necessary).
2. Make 8 small pancakes and keep them warm in the oven at low heat (170F).

Mushrooms

1. Sautee the shallots in butter over low heat.
2. Sautee the mushrooms over medium heat until wilted and the liquid comes out.
3. Add truffle salt (or regular salt) to taste.

Plating

1. Place one pancake over a warmed plate.
2. Scoop mushrooms on top of the first pancake, then put sliced camembert over the second pancake.
3. Top the second pancake with more mushrooms.
4. Place the poached egg over the whole stack.
5. Repeat for other three plates.
6. Sprinkle chives over the plate and drizzle with truffle oil.