Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Pancake Batter
- 200 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 350 ml whole milk, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 30 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 10 g chives, fresh, finely sliced
Mushroom and Spinach Filling
- 400 g cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, stems trimmed, sliced 5 mm thick
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely minced
- 2 garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 20 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 20 g unsalted butter, divided into two 10 g portions
- 250 g baby spinach, washed, spun dry, and stems trimmed
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 2 g black pepper, coarsely ground
- ½ g ground nutmeg, freshly grated
- 120 g creme fraiche, chilled
Fresh Salad
- 120 g mixed baby salad greens, washed and spun dry
- 20 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained
- 2 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 591 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 53 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 1138 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 16 g
- Potassium
- 1146 mg
- Calcium
- 240 mg
- Iron
- 5.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 64 mg
- Phosphorus
- 223 mg
- Vitamin A
- 352 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 26 mg
- Water
- 154 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Whisk the flour and 4 g fine sea salt together in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined.
Whisk the whole milk and eggs together in a medium mixing bowl until completely smooth and emulsified.
Pour the egg-milk mixture into the dry ingredients in a steady stream while whisking continuously until a smooth, lump-free batter forms.
Stir the 30 g melted butter and the sliced fresh chives into the batter using a silicone spatula.
Rest the batter at room temperature (20°C/68°F) for 15 minutes to allow flour starches to hydrate and gluten to relax.
Trim any woody stem ends from the cremini mushrooms and slice the caps 5 mm thick on a cutting board using a chef knife.
Peel and finely mince the shallots and garlic cloves on the cutting board using a chef knife.
Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat at 190°C (375°F) and add 20 ml extra virgin olive oil along with 10 g unsalted butter.
Add the sliced mushrooms across the skillet and sauté undisturbed for 3 minutes, then toss and sauté for an additional 4 minutes until all liquid evaporates and mushrooms turn deep golden brown.
Stir the minced shallots, minced garlic, remaining 10 g unsalted butter, 4 g fine sea salt, black pepper, and nutmeg into the skillet, cooking for 2 minutes until shallots are soft and fragrant.
Add the baby spinach to the skillet in two batches, folding continuously with a silicone spatula for 2 minutes until fully wilted, then remove the skillet from heat.
Preheat a 24 cm non-stick frying pan over medium heat at 175°C (350°F) and wipe the cooking surface lightly with unsalted butter using folded paper towels.
Ladle 60 ml of rested batter into the center of the preheated pan, rotating the pan immediately to distribute the batter into an even circle, and cook for 90 seconds until the top surface dulls.
Flip the pancake carefully using a silicone spatula and cook the reverse side for 60 seconds until lightly spotted and cooked through to at least 71°C (160°F), repeating with remaining batter to yield 8 pancakes.
Whisk 20 ml extra virgin olive oil, 15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, and 2 g fine sea salt together in a salad bowl until emulsified.
Add the washed and dried mixed baby salad greens to the salad bowl and toss gently using clean hands or a silicone spatula until leaves are lightly coated.
Spread 15 g of chilled crème fraîche across one half of each warm pancake, spoon 40 g of warm sautéed mushroom and spinach filling over the crème fraîche, and fold the pancake in half.
Plate two warm filled pancakes onto each serving plate alongside a loose mound of dressed baby salad greens, and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Resting the batter for at least 15 minutes allows starch granules to hydrate and gluten strands to relax, yielding thin, pliable pancakes that fold cleanly without cracking.
- Do not crowd the mushrooms in the pan; keeping them in a single layer over high heat ensures Maillard browning rather than stewing in their own expelled moisture.
- Applying butter with a folded paper towel distributes a uniform micro-film across the pan, preventing smoke points and grease pooling while delivering an even golden hue.
- Wilt the spinach quickly at the very end of filling preparation so it retains vibrant chlorophyll color and does not weep excess water into the pan.
- Assemble and plate the pancakes immediately so the crisp pancake perimeter maintains its structure against the warm filling and chilled crème fraîche.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store leftover pancakes and filling in separate airtight containers at or below 4°C (40°F). Keep salad greens undressed until service.
Freezer: 1 month — Layer cooked unfilled pancakes between sheets of parchment paper inside an airtight freezer bag. The mushroom and spinach filling does not freeze well due to moisture release.
Reheating: Reheat refrigerated pancakes and filling separately in a dry skillet over medium heat to an internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F) before assembling. Do not reheat dressed salad greens.
Troubleshooting
Pancakes tear or stick to the pan when flipping
Cause: The pan was insufficiently heated or had insufficient fat coating, or the batter did not rest long enough to hydrate flour.
Fix: Scrape the torn pancake out, re-butter the pan, let it come back up to temperature, and cook the next pancake slightly longer before attempting to slide the spatula underneath.
Prevention: Allow batter to rest a full 15 minutes, ensure the non-stick pan is fully preheated to 175°C (350°F), and lightly coat with melted butter before each pancake.
Mushroom filling becomes watery and makes pancakes soggy
Cause: The skillet was overcrowded or heat was too low, causing the mushrooms to steam in their moisture rather than sear.
Fix: Increase skillet heat to high and sauté vigorously to boil off remaining liquid, or drain the mixture briefly in a mesh strainer before filling pancakes.
Prevention: Use a wide 28 cm skillet over medium-high heat and do not salt the mushrooms until they have released their liquid and caramelized.
Pancakes are rubbery or tough
Cause: The batter was over-whisked after flour was introduced, developing an excess of gluten network.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once cooked, but remaining unbaked batter can be rested an extra 15 minutes with a splash of milk to soften structure.
Prevention: Whisk dry and wet ingredients only until no dry streaks remain, then rest the batter for at least 15 minutes before cooking.
Cultural Context
Savory filled pancakes, known in French culinary tradition as crêpes salées or pannequets, originated in the agrarian kitchens of Brittany where delicate batters served as practical vessels for market-fresh produce. Pairing earthy wild or cultivated mushrooms with delicate greens and cultured dairy reflects classic French bistro fare, contrasting deep umami notes with clean lactic tang. This dish bridges rustic home cooking and refined plating, making it a staple vegetable-forward main course across modern European tables.
