Savory Pancakes: Flipping Delicious

from Connecticut Food & Farm Magazine, Winter 2020, Volume 19

by Connecticut Food and Farm

Hand Rolled Chocolate Truffles

Savory Pancakes

BY MALLORY O’CONNOR LISA NICHOLS PHOTOS

Have you ever tried savory pancakes?

There’s a whole world of pancakes out there that aren’t sweet at all. Think pancakes layered with seared ham, melty Gruyère, and topped with a fried egg. Green chili corn cakes with lime crema, or pancakes with rosemary and white cheddar. And what about pancakes channeling breakfast burrito vibes with chorizo jalapeño, hot honey and scallions, served alongside avocado, beans, and pico de gallo? Chef Molly Baker thinks you and yours will flip for these, at any meal of the day!

Located in a corner spot at the Simsbury Town Shops, you’ll find the charming Popover Bistro & Bakery, where Molly oversees catering. This sunny, quaint bistro is open seven days a week, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Popover

also offers brunch on the weekends (and yes, they have mimosas). The menu features Connecticut-grown produce, brews from Black Hog Brewery in Oxford, GIV coffee roasted locally in Canton (bring home a bag of their “Popovers Blend”); and locally-sourced maple syrup and honey.

With colorful paint and a cheerful atmosphere, it’s easy to fall in love with Popovers at first glance. Just open the menu and you’ll see why diners swoon for their blend of flavor-packed comfort food and healthy dishes, including a wide variety of gluten-free eats, cooked in designated gluten-free areas. Most of the menu can also be ordered glutenfree, and there is a case of baked goods in front which are also safe for the

gluten intolerant. (An absolute must: the gluten-free chicken and waffles!).

And new to weekend brunch this winter: the aforementioned, swoonworthy savory pancakes. Chef Molly Baker, who brought these gems to the menu, says she “likes savory more than sweet.” Inspired by comfort foods and traditional breakfast items, Molly wanted to add something unique to the brunch scene.

At home, as a busy mom, Molly finds “hiding” ingredients an added benefit of savory pancakes. “Pancakes can be fun, like breakfast for dinner, but incorporating savory ingredients can actually make them a well-balanced dinner, and with kids you can sneak your vegetables in!” Molly also adds in superfoods like chia and flax, which easily go unnoticed in a pancake with so many other flavors.

Molly draws from a rich heritage of world cuisines where savory pancakes abound, creating fresh new flavor combinations. Here are some of her favorite savory pancake recipes:

Blue Cornmeal Cakes

INGREDIENTS 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted 3/4 cup blue cornmeal 1 tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. salt 2 large eggs 1-1/2 cups whole milk 2 tbsp. melted butter (plus more for pan)

Combine all dry ingredients. Whisk in butter, and then eggs and milk until combined. Heat skillet to medium. Add butter to hot skillet until melted. Ladle 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Lightly flatten and shape. Flip when the edges become browned from the butter and there are small bubbles on the sur-face (roughly two minutes). Cook for one more minute, or until you achieve the golden brown color you desire.

“Pancakes can be fun like breakfast for dinner, but incorporating savory ingredients can actually make them a well-balanced dinner...

Basic Pancake

INGREDIENTS 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbsp. baking powder 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup sour cream (trust me) 3/4 cup whole milk 2 large eggs 2 tbsp. melted butter (plus more for pan)

Combine all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk sour cream and eggs together. Add butter to egg mixture, then milk. Add to dry ingredients, and mix until combined. Heat skillet to medium. Add butter to hot skillet until melted. Ladle 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Lightly flatten and shape. Flip when the edges become browned from the butter and there are small bubbles on the sur-face (roughly two minutes). Cook for one more minute, or until you achieve the golden brown color you desire

Serve and enjoy!

Choose from one of the pancake recipes, then add some variety using the flavor combos that follow. At Popover, Molly adds the ingredients right into the pancake batter to infuse their flavors. They can, however, be added right before cooking.

Pro tip: cast iron pans are great for bringing out flavors (and for drawing additional iron from pan to food), but use whatever you have in the kitchen. “Ultimately.” Molly says, “these are supposed to be fun, so use what you have available.”

“There’s a whole world of pancakes out there that aren’t sweet at all.

The BLT Add cooked, chopped bacon and cheddar cheese to the batter. Cook with the same instructions. In a separate pan, wilt spinach and tomato. Layer the pancakes with the tomato-spinach mix.

Breakfast Burrito Mix in chorizo jalapeño with hot honey and scallions. Serve with avocado, beans, and pico de gallo.

Green Chili Corn Cakes with Lime Crema Mix chilies, smoked paprika and grilled corn into the batter. In a separate dish, combine sour cream (or creme fraiche) and fresh lime juice to make crema for the top.

Rosemary & White Cheddar Mix this combination right into the batter for a delicious variation on either recipe.

Croque Madame In a pan, sear ham; add Gruyère cheese on top. While melting, fry a runny egg. Layer the ham, cheese and egg between pancakes.

Green Eggs & Ham These make a great “breakfast for dinner” for kids! Wilt some spinach and add to batter. While pancake cooks, sauté ham on the side with a runny egg, or right into scrambled eggs (additional spinach as well if you love to sneak in extra veggies!).