Mama’s pancake gratin

Our Mama, Malawi’s official hostess during the Kamuzu Banda era, loves cooking up a storm in her kitchen. She honours Every Woman with her signature pancake gratin. This is definitely something worth cutting out and keeping.

 

For the Pancake

185g/6.5oz (1.5 cups plain flour for all purpose)

3 medium eggs; 1 pinch sugar; 1 pinch salt,

225ml/7.5fl.oz (1 cup) milk

150ml/5fl.oz (5/8 cup) mineral water

40g/1.5oz margarine or 3 tablespoon cooking oil e.g. sunflower oil

For the filling

2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 250g/9oz carrots

30g/1oz (2 tablespoons) margarine, or 2 tablespoon sunflower oil

450g/ a handful of leaf spinach, salt, pepper, grated nutmeg

For the sauce

200g/7oz fromage frais, medium egg, salt, pepper

In addition

Fat for the mould; 125g/4.5oz Mozzarella, cheese, basil

Steps:

1. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl, make a well in the centre. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, milk and mineral water and pour a little of this mixture into the well. Starting from the middle, mix together a little of the egg mixture and the flour, adding the rest of the egg mixture little by little making sure there are no lumps. Leave the butter to stand for 20-30 minutes.

2. Heat some of the margarine oil in a pan and pour a thin layer of batter into the pan. As soon as the edges turn golden yellow, carefully turn over the pancake using a wooden Spatula. Alternatively, slide the pancake onto a plate and return to the pan on the other side. Fry the second side until it is golden yellow too, add a little more oil or margarine before turning the pan cake. Make sure the pan cake is golden brown on both sides. Make 6-8 pancakes (depending on the size of the frying pan) stacking the pancakes on top of each other and let them cool down.

3. To make the stuffing, peel and chop the onions and garlic. Peel the carrots and cut off the green leaves and tips, then wash, drain and cut into small dice.

4. Heat the oil or margarine in a pan. Add the chopped onions and garlic and fry while stirring. Add the carrots and spinach, cover and cook over low heat for about ten to fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. Pre heat the oven. Boil away any excess liquid in the liquid mixture. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and leave to cool.

5. Meanwhile mix together the fromage frais, milk and egg and season with salt and pepper.

6. Put the pan cakes next to each on the worktop and spoon the stuffing onto each pancake. Roll them up and arrange next to each other in a shallow, greased gratin dish (about 30x24cm/12x 10 in).Pour the sauce over each one. Cut the Mozzarella into thin strips and scatter on top. Bake uncovered in the oven for about 35 minutes.

Top/Bottom heat: About 200 degrees Celsius. Fan oven: About 180 degrees Celsius (preheated).

7. Garnish with basil leaves just before serving.