One of the simple luxuries I have enjoyed these school holidays is making pancakes for the kids for breakfast. Well if truth were told I also enjoy sleeping in, slow mornings and hanging out in my pyjamas all day.

School mornings for us are a harried affair as we attempt to get out the door and in the car by 8.30am sharp. A monumental effort to say the least and one that we fail dismally at more days than I care to admit. Hence, breakfast on a school day is often boring and rushed and consists of either cereal or eggs and toast.

So as we began to hedge closer towards the end of term break we all started to concoct and share our various elaborate breakfast scenarios. High on my wish list was the outrageously fabulous bacon, fetta and dukkah number and the ever so sweet orange blossom and cinnamon semolina dumplings - a far cry from the mundane weekday cereal and toast options.

Hence, the current favourite for these school holidays has been beghrir, which are semolina pancakes that we devour with lashings of butter and honey. These pancakes closely resemble English crumpets as the yeast in the batter causes hundreds of tiny bubbles to form. I tend to break with tradition slightly as I prefer to make the batter a little thicker and cook the pancakes on both sides. Hence the proper way to cook beghrir would be to cook the pancake until the top of it is dry and jam-packed with little holes that have formed from the bubbles.

A perfect way to kick start anyone's morning, even if the morning is to be spent sitting on the couch with the little people in my world watching mindless television in our flannelette pyjamas.

Beghrir - Semolina Pancakes

Recipe adapted from The Food of Morocco

Ingredients

4tsp active dried yeast

½ tsp sugar

250g very fine semolina

250g organic plain flour, sifted

½ tsp sea salt

2 organic eggs, beaten

125ml lukewarm organic milk

500ml lukewarm water

Grape seed oil for the frying pan

Unsalted butter & honey to serve

Method

1. Place the yeast, sugar and 125ml of lukewarm water in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside in a warm place for 10-15 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface, as this means the yeast has been activated.

2. Mix the flour, semolina and salt in a mixing bowl and make a well at the centre. Add the beaten eggs and remaining water to the lukewarm milk and pour into the flour mixture, then add the yeast mixture.

3. With a balloon whisk, bring the dry ingredients into the liquid and whisk for 5-7 minutes until smooth. The batter should have the consistency of thick cream. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for an hour or until the batter has doubled in bulk.

4. Heat a heavy frying pan over a high heat and then reduce the heat to medium and rub the pan with some kitchen paper that has been dipped in some grape seed or vegetable oil. Pour a small ladleful of batter into the frying pan and using the bottom of the ladle, quickly shape into a round about 15cm in diameter. Cook until the top of the pancake looks dry and is covered with little holes from the bubbles, not unlike a crumpet.  I prefer to turn the pancake over briefly so to brown the bubbly side also.

5. Remove the pancake, set aside and keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, oiling the pan between each pancake. The batter should yield approximately 15 pancakes. Serve the pancakes hot with butter and warm honey.




A Mediterranean Feast of the
Mythic Islands of Malta & Sicily

June 7th-17th, 2011
Ten day fully escorted gastronomic tour

 
Download 'A Mediterranean Feast' 2011 Tour Brochure ( 111kb pdf)

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