Chef Pankhurst Shares a Recipe

With my rave review of Savoy Cabbage, you can imagine how excited I was when Peter Pankhurst, the restaurant's head chef, agreed to share a recipe. I had a delightful amuse bouche at his restaurant during my visit in early July, a light sweet corn mini-pancake, topped with smoked salmon and a creme fraiche sauce.

Many thanks to Chef Pankhurst for sharing the recipe, which I'm including in this post - and I hope you try it for yourselves! This light, pretty finger food would be perfect for a cocktail party or appetizer. It's easy to make if you can handle making pancakes, offers a classic flavor combination, and looks so elegant!

1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup corn meal or polenta
1 tablespoon baking powder
100ml cream
75ml milk
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ear sweetcorn, boiled till tender and kernels removed
Smoked salmon, thinly sliced
Crème fraiche
Chive tips, to garnish

1. Mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients. Mix with a whisk to make a batter somewhat thicker than normal pancake batter. If too thick add more milk. Fold the sweetcorn kernels into the batter just before using.

2. To cook, drop teaspoonfuls of batter into a lightly greased frying pan. Flip cakes after approximately 45 seconds andcook on the opposite side for about 25 seconds.

3. Taste 5 or 6 cakes to see if they are OK. This can be difficult, so taste as many more as you need to ensure top quality. If necessary, start over, but try to save some for your guests.

4. Garnish with thinly sliced smoked salmon and top with crème fraiche. Garnish with chive tips.