These French-inspired Buckwheat Crepes (Galettes) are not only utterly delicious, but they’re also super nutritious and easy to make!

Don’t you just love crepes?

Crepes are one of those things I can never say no to because I love it and it’s not because they’re French. Although it’s true, it seems most things that come from France are amazing! Crepes may be simple, but they have a little sophistication about them. It might have to do with the folding technique involved.

French Galettes first came to my attention when my friends and I were out late in the city a few years ago. After a few too many drinks, we stumbled across a small cafe serving buckwheat crepes they called ‘galettes’. It looked interesting, and it was the only few places that were opened so we gave it a go.

I’ve had crepes before, but it didn’t look like the ones they served us at this cafe. When they came out, it surprised me to see how dark the crepes were, and they folded it into a neat square with a little of the centre exposed.

I was instantly a fan of buckwheat crepes. They were super thin, crispy and had a slightly nutty and bitter flavour, but in a good way! The buckwheat flour gave the crepes depth and complexity. Buckwheat flour is also more nutritious and healthy than plain white flour. Rarely do I like healthier versions of things, but this time I actually do.

You can have Crepes savoury or sweet with many fillings. And you can have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner! For this one, we are going to keep things tasty and simple with egg, ham and cheese.

Never wear a skirt around a toddler!

You probably instantly imagined my almost 2-year-old toddler, Kai, pulling down my skirt in front of everyone. No, thankfully, that didn’t happen.

The last few days, our spring weather has been warm and glorious, so I slipped on a long summer skirt and headed to the beach with my husband, Tomasi, and Kai.

After spending an hour at the beach, we took Kai to the park nearby so he could burn up his energy. It was a massive park with a cute little house and tiny slides for the toddlers. They also had two insane-looking slides approximately 2 stories high for the bigger kids.

We guided Kai towards the toddler section, and he happily played with it for 2 minutes before he got bored. He bolted towards the whopper slides and was playing at the bottom. Hubby ran after him but allowed him to continue playing there, as it was harmless enough. Then, out of nowhere, Kai quickly climbed all the way to the top of the slide. He did it so fast that Spiderman would’ve been jealous.

My heart sank. I ran over and repeatedly yelled out to him, ‘GO DOWN THE SLIDE SWEETIE!’. From above, standing on a small platform, Kai was grinning at me through a small opening. One step forward, he would’ve tumbled all the way down. Fearless Kai was so proud of himself that he was busy applauding himself!

Tomasi was way too big and tall to fit into the opening to grab Kai, and he also had a fear of heights. It was up to me to rescue him, and the only way up for an adult was to climb a thin wooden ladder.

Kai watched me in amusement as I made my way up. When I finally reached him, he told me to get back down by shoving me angrily. I could feel the wind against my legs and that’s when I remembered I was wearing a skirt hanging on a ladder 2 stories high.

I hung there until Kai decided it was time to slide down. Tomasi picked him up and carried him over his shoulder. It was definitely time to go home!

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Are you a buckwheat?

During my uni years living on campus, I met some wonderful people around the world and made long life friends. I shared a townhouse with a country boy from Cowra, Ethan, and Alison, a cheeky Canadian. Both of them ended up being very close friends of mine.

When I hear the word ‘buckwheat’ it makes me laugh because Alison nicknamed Ethan Buckwheat. Ethan mocked her Canadian accent, and she made fun of him being a country cowboy and called him Buckwheat. Ah, fun memories back when we were young and carefree.

Funny enough though, buckwheat isn’t even wheat, so its name is misleading. It’s also not a grain but is a fruit seed. This means that buckwheat is gluten-free.

Buckwheat has many health benefits. It’s packed with antioxidants, lower cholesterol levels and keeps the heart very healthy. It’s also a great source of protein and fibre. Flavour-wise, it has an earthy and nutty flavour with a tiny amount of bitterness.

There are many fillings to choose from when making buckwheat crepes, such as mushrooms, creamy chicken or spinach. You could also fill it with sweet options such as strawberries and cream or chocolate. Having crepes is never boring and you can eat them at any time of the day!

Ingredients for Buckwheat Crepes

Buckwheat flour is whole grain and gluten-free flour and is very nutritious. It has a subtle earthy and nutty flavour. They usually sell buckwheat flour in the baking or health section of the supermarket.

Soda water (carbonated or sparkling water) makes the batter light and crispy. It’s not pictured above as I forgot to add it in.

Ham – Is always worth getting your hands on quality shaved ham because it makes a lot of difference. We got some ham off the bone from a deli (not pictured above) and found that it was less salty and more delicate than supermarket packaged ham.

Shredded cheese – I used vintage cheddar as I enjoy its sharp flavour. However, any variety of cheese that melts easily would work. Gruyere, Swiss, mozzarella and cheddar are great choices.

Dijon and mayonnaise sauce (optional) – The dijon goes nicely with ham and cheese and the mayonnaise mellows out the flavour of the mustard so it doesn’t overpower the entire crepe. If preferred, leave the sauce out and season the crepe with salt and pepper.

How to make Buckwheat Crepes

Step-by-step guide with photos

In a large bowl, place in the flour and salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour, then add in the milk and eggs. Whisk to combine, starting from the middle then working outwards. Cover bowl with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Doing this relaxes the batter and the flour will absorb in the water, which will improve the texture of the crepes.

Pour the melted butter into the chilled batter and whisk well to combine. Then add in the soda water (or water) a little at a time, whisking in between to thin out the batter. The more water added to the batter, the lighter and thinner the crepe will be. To make the sauce, mix the dijon mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl.

Lightly brush melted butter all over the base of a large non-stick frying pan or crepe maker and wipe off with a paper towel. Heat pan over medium to low heat for 30 seconds, then pour a ladle of batter into the centre of the pan. Swirl the pan to distribute the batter evenly or use an offset spatula to smooth the batter out. Once the batter sets, place an egg in the middle. Use a spatula to centre the yolk in the middle of the crepe and spread out the whites. Place the cheese around the outer edges of the crepe, then top it with sauce and ham. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper onto the yolk. Cook crepe until the cheese has melted.

Folding the buckwheat crepes

Using a spatula, carefully fold over the opposite sides inwards to make a square, but leave the yolk exposed. Cook for a minute, then remove on onto a plate. Repeat the same steps for the next crepes.

Leftovers (unfilled crepes) – Allow the crepes to cool completely at room temperature. Transfer the crepes into an airtight container and refrigerate. It’ll be good for up to 4 days. Frozen crepes will keep for up to 3 months.

Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.

For more French inspired dishes try out Coq au Vin, a delicious chicken stew in red wine or French style mussels 

A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.

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Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre