Honey-Buttered Pancakes With Orange Blossom and Blueberry Sauce - Baghrir Recipe

How to make Harissa Caesar Salad with Crispy Spiced Chickpeas

1. Make the baghrir: Combine the semolina flour, plain flour, sugar, baking powder, yeast and salt in a blender, add the warm water, and blend until the batter is smooth, with no lumps. Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a large bowl and beat with a handheld electric mixer until smooth.
2. Check the consistency of the batter, as the results will depend on the coarseness of your semolina flour. The ideal consistency should be pourable but not watery, thinner than a traditional pancake batter, and slightly thicker than a traditional crêpe batter. If your batter seems too thick, add a little more warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as necessary. Conversely, if it’s too runny, add a little more semolina flour, ½ tablespoon at a time, until it thickens.
3. Let the batter stand, covered, at room temperature for 25 minutes to allow the yeast to activate; the batter should be light and foamy, with lots of tiny bubbles. Blend or whisk again for a few seconds before cooking the pancakes.
4. Meanwhile, make the blueberry sauce: Whisk the water, lemon juice, orange blossom water and cornflour together in a medium saucepan until the cornflour has dissolved. Stir in the blueberries and sugar and bring just to a simmer over a medium-¬high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-¬low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries begin to soften and the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more orange blossom water and/or lemon juice, if desired. Remove from the heat and set aside; if desired, reheat the sauce over a low heat before serving. (The sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead, cooled, and refrigerated in a sealed container. Bring to room temperature or reheat gently before serving.)
5. Set a 20cm non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and wait for it to get properly hot. (That will ensure that the batter sets properly and creates the pancake’s characteristic holes.) Pour about 80ml of batter into the centre of the hot pan and allow it to spread into a circle; as soon as the batter hits the pan, plenty of small bubbles should appear all over the surface. (The pan doesn’t need to be oiled, unless you’re not using a non-stick pan). Once the pancake starts to set slightly and lose its sheen, within 60–90 seconds, it is ready (baghrir are cooked on one side only). Adjust the heat as necessary, keeping it between medium and medium-¬high. Transfer the pancake to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the pancakes with sheets of baking paper between them to prevent them from sticking together. (The pancakes can be made ahead and stored in a sealed container or ziplock bag for up to 2 days in the fridge or up to 1 month in the freezer.)
6. When ready to serve the pancakes, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the honey and stir to combine, then reduce the heat to low. Add the pancakes to the pan two at a time, quickly turning them with a spatula to coat both sides with the syrup; don’t let them soak in the syrup, or they will absorb too much of it. Arrange the pancakes on individual plates as you heat them and top each serving with a dollop of crème fraîche and blueberry sauce. If desired, garnish them with a sprinkling of lemon zest.
   
7. TIP: If only a few bubbles or only large bubbles appear when you add the batter to the pan, the pan may not be hot enough, or the batter may be too thick or hasn’t proved for long enough. In that case, add 60ml warm water to the batter, blend or whisk again, and let it prove for an additional 15 minutes, then proceed as directed.