Buckwheat Crepes With Banana-Sesame Jam
Las crepas de trigo sarraceno son una de esas raras delicias que, además de ser prácticas, te hacen sentir orgulloso de ti mismo. Dile a otro padre o madre que preparas crepas para tus hijos en los días de escuela (¡tanto por la mañana como por la noche!) y observa la confusión en sus ojos.
- 2 large eggs
- 1⅓ cups whole milk
- ½ cup (63 g) buckwheat flour
- ⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
- 1½ tsp. plus 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
- Kosher salt
- 3 very ripe bananas, peeled, cut into 1" pieces
- ½ tsp. ground cardamom or cinnamon
- 3 Tbsp. tahini
- 1–2 tsp. fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Banana slices and/or black sesame seeds (for serving; optional)
- Blend 2 large eggs, 1⅓ cups whole milk, ½ cup (63 g) buckwheat flour, ⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour, 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 1½ tsp. dark brown sugar, and a pinch of kosher salt in a blender, scraping down sides halfway through, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Let batter sit at room temperature while you make the jam.
- Cook 3 very ripe bananas, peeled, cut into 1" pieces, ½ tsp. ground cardamom or cinnamon, a pinch of kosher salt, remaining 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar, and 2 Tbsp. water in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, smashing bananas and stirring often with a heatproof rubber spatula, until darkened in color and jammy, 10–15 minutes. Remove banana mixture from heat.
- Whisk 3 Tbsp. tahini and ¼ cup water in a medium bowl until smooth. Add banana mixture and 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (if using) and stir well. Taste banana jam and add remaining 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice if desired.
- Give batter a good stir, scraping bottom of blender jar to reincorporate any flour that has settled. Heat a 10"-diameter nonstick skillet over medium 2 minutes. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat pan with melted butter. Lift up pan from burner and pour ¼ cup batter onto one side, then immediately tilt pan and swirl batter to coat surface evenly. (Pan should be hot enough that bubbles begin to form in batter within a few seconds; if not, increase heat slightly.) Cook crepe until edges begin to brown and surface looks matte, about 45 seconds. Run spatula around edges to loosen and flip. Cook crepe until just set underneath, about 15 seconds; transfer to a large plate. Repeat with more butter and remaining batter, stirring between pours. Stack cooked crepes on top of each other.
- To serve, place a crepe on a plate, lighter side up. Spread about 2 Tbsp. banana jam over and fold in half, then in half again to create a wedge shape. Repeat with remaining crepes and more jam. Top with banana slices and/or black sesame seeds if desired. Do Ahead: Batter can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Buckwheat crepes are one of those rare items that are both practical to make and feel like a flex. Tell another parent that you make crepes for your kids on school days (morning or night!) and just watch the confusion rise behind their eyes.
It sounds fancy, but in practice, crepes really do make sense for the busy parent who loves to cook. You don’t need a special pan to make crepes—any nonstick pan will do; and each pancake cooks in barely a couple minutes.
No need to make the batter ahead of time either: Just a 5-minute rest allows the buckwheat time to hydrate, but it lasts for 3 days in the fridge. It’s barely sweetened, so the crepes can cover multiple meals, skewing savory with a filling of melty cheese or cooked vegetables, or sweet, like this one, with jammy fruit. Like many parents, I am always looking for ways to optimize nutrition when cooking for my family.
Buckwheat is high in fiber, nutrient-dense, and has a low glycemic index. I love its earthy flavor, especially when paired with butter browning in the pan.
My crepe batter uses a mix of buckwheat and all-purpose flour (just enough gluten to hold them together), but keeps the ratio of the former higher, making them darker and more richly flavored than an all-wheat crepe. This recipe became such a household staple that my kids insisted I put it on the brunch menu at Oberon, the restaurant in Manhattan’s New Museum, where I am the Executive Chef.
More breakfast winners here: Crispy Crepes With Dark Maple Syrup; Perfectly Fluffy Pancakes; and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole.
