Moroccan Honeycomb Pancakes by Lerato
Lerato is an award winning author, chef and broadcaster. Her debut cookbook ‘Africana: Recipes from across the rich continent’ was an instant classic with the likes of Nigella, Jamie Oliver and many more giving it grand praise. When she’s not teaching cookery, she can be heard on BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet as a panellist or travelling hosting sumptuous retreats.
Join Lerato’s upcoming West African Masterclass this April 17th with lots of inspiration for cooking with fragrant spices and fresh vegetables as you learn to cook the sumptuous Senegalese Jollof, Poulet Yassa, Spiced plantains and much more.
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I love travelling through food and taking you along with me, through my cookbook and through my masterclasses. I still remember sitting on the terrace of a mythical riad, gazing past the 18th-century Skala de la Kasbah, over Essaouira’s port, and out to the crashing Atlantic waves. It was Mardi Gras in Morocco, and I wished you could have been there, feasting on the views and flavors with me.
Essaouira, the Berber-chic coastal retreat I fell in love with still lingers in my memory: the tongue-rolling Arabic, orange blossom-scented riads and hammams, the fragrant food, and the lively theatre of haggling in the souks. On that trip, which became both a holiday and a preparation for my cookery retreat, I wandered from Marrakesh to the Atlas mountains and back to the coast, starting most mornings with Baghrir, these irresistible honeycomb-like pancakes, much loved across North Africa.
I love these pancakes so much that I had to share it in my cookbook Africana, Traditionally served with butter, honey and a fruit compote, I conjured up an Orange Blossom and Honey Syrup with cinnamon and added zest from fresh oranges. So bewitchingly fragrant, embodying that Moroccan-ness that is stamped in my mind and heart, and hopefully soon…yours too!
I hope you enjoy this treat and I hope to see you in the kitchen soon.
Lerato x
Baghrir
Honeycomb Pancakes with Orange Blossom & Honey Syrup
Makes about 10 pancakes
Ingredients
FOR THE PANCAKES
- 200g fine semolina
- 100g plain flour
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 2¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 medium free-range egg, beaten (optional)
- 600ml lukewarm milk or water (add an extra 60ml if omitting the egg)
FOR THE ORANGE BLOSSOM & HONEY SYRUP
- 100g unsalted butter
- 125ml honey or agave syrup
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of 1 medium orange
- 1 tsp orange blossom water (optional)
Method
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Sift the dry pancake ingredients into a large bowl and slowly whisk in the egg, if using, and milk or water until combined. Pour into a food processor and blend for a minute or until the batter is smooth and wonderfully creamy. Pour back into the bowl, cover tightly and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes, until the surface is foamy and covered with bubbles.
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Meanwhile, prepare the syrup. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. After about 1 minute when the butter is foaming, whisk in the honey and cinnamon with 1 tablespoon of water. Simmer for 1 minute, until it begins to bubble and thicken, then add the orange zest and blossom water, whisking until well combined. Simmer for 1 minute. As the syrup begins to bubble. remove it from the heat and leave it to cool slightly.
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Pour half the syrup into a jug or bowl for serving, leaving the rest in the saucepan to brush onto the pancakes. The syrup will thicken once cooled.
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Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat - no oil required. Gently stir the batter back into a uniform consistency then pour about 125ml swiftly into the middle of the pan (use a ladle or measuring jug). Leave it to spread out on its own. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles start to erupt all over the surface. Do not flip! Test with your finger and when the top is dry to the touch remove the pancake from the pan. Leave to rest on a wire rack. Brush some syrup over the top.
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Heat the frying pan for the next pancake and repeat as above until you have used up the batter.
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Once slightly cooled, the pancakes can be stacked in small batches without sticking or overlapping on a large platter. Serve the pancakes with orange wedges, fresh berries and fragrant syrup alongside.
Cook’s Tips
Enjoy this differently each time with your favourite seasonal fruits, with date syrup, agave, flavoured & nut butters.
Store any remaining syrup in a jar and keep in the refrigerator for up to a month, however unlikely. You can use the syrup for all other pancake recipes, on French toast and to drizzle onto sponge cakes.
This recipe has been adapted from Africana, Published by HQ Stories/ Harper Collins. Photos by Tara Fisher.