Savory Pancakes Are Suitable for Lunch or Supper
Everyone loves breakfast pancakes drenched in maple syrup, but there are lots of different savory cake options and Caneggs’ Protein Powder Pancake Mix takes them all to the next level in terms of nutrition and flavour. There’s a whole world of cakes-made-in-a-pan out there: crispy thin crepes, or thick and fluffy pastries; some are made with potato, and others rice, or even cabbage. Savory pancakes can be enjoyed plain or laden with toppings and used to sop up a tangy sauce. Filled with local ingredients, they’re sometimes given special names and are core to cultural cuisine; parathas, okonomiyaki, farinata and latkes spring to mind.
What is a Savory Pancake?
Instead of tasting sweet, savory food is salty and spicy. The word is very old and hundreds of years ago ‘savory’ meant pleasing to the sense of taste or smell. In Old French the word ‘savoure’ means tasty, fragrant, and is rooted in Latin sapor which means taste. Savory food is categorized as anything not inherently sweet. Meat, for instance, (unless candied) is savory. Salty snack foods and spicy hors d’oeuvres are considered savory fare at fancy gatherings. Savory pancakes are unexpected because the usual wheat flour offerings are typically served as a sweet breakfast dish drenched in syrup alongside fresh fruit. Meat filled pancakes are a bold departure from the norm.
Salt Fish is our Canadian Heritage
Salt fish was enjoyed regularly by all English speaking peoples living near the Atlantic coast, and is still a staple in England today where ‘salt fish’ can mean either kippered herring, or dried and salted cod. Canadians eat cod from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and P.E.I. Authentic Salt Cod is also known as Bacalao (Spanish name) and appears dusted white and is butterflied when sold by fishmongers in open-air markets. The flesh is cured with dry salt and thus preserved for later eating. Drying or salting, either with dry salt or with brine, was once the only available method of preserving fish. The salt application reduces the water content, creating a firm dry texture to the flesh. The meat has a low fat content, and becomes a tender again when rehydrated.
Salted cod retails in most supermarkets today for about $3 per 100 grams.
Preparations:
- Prepare 100 grams of hardened cod by boiling it twice and squeezing the meat dry to remove salt and excess water. To more quickly desalinate the meat, place salt cod in a saucepan filled with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse, and repeat with fresh water. Taste to check salt level and repeat the process if necessary. For best results, soak the fish overnight. Remove bones and skin from fish. Flake and shred the meat into small pieces and then set aside.
- Defrost or rinse fresh capers, a flavorful Mediterranean vegetable.
- Chop green onions
- Chop culantro (or cilantro)
- Slice cherry tomatoes and pat them dry to remove juice.
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, let’s make the Pancake batter
- add one cup of Caneggs’ Protein Powder Pancake Mix into a large bowl.
- add tomatoes, green onions, and the flaked cod.
- Pour in 1/2 cup water
- stir until well blended
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, about 1/4 cup for each pancake; cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter
In a skillet on the stove,
- heat a tablespoon of cooking oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.
- drop rounded spoonfuls of freshly prepared pancake batter into the skillet
- fry in hot oil until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve hot
Prep Time: 1 hour prep on the Cod Fish desalination
Cook Time: 20 mins
Servings: 2
Yield: 4 six-inch wide pancakes
Protein pancakes made with salt fish, green onions and capers has some natural sweetness and is best served with tamarind or mango chutney and gewürztraminer wine.