The first time I had Pannekoeken I was 18 and was on a ‘leisure’ trip to Asmterdam (yeah, of course!). I had them on the beach in Zandvoort on the Atlantic coast. At that time I was still thinking I would be a chef.  J

Thicker than a French crepe but thinner than a pancake they are a balance compromise. The thing that impressed me the most was that they are served mostly for lunch or dinner (not for brakfast) and very often associated with bacon and cheese (even though syrup and chocolate are also possible).

Serves 6/7

Ready in 45 minutes

250 grams all purpose flour

500 ml milk

2 eggs

a pinch of salt

200 grams speck, bacon or whatever cured meat you prefer

150 grams sliced cheese (Cheddar or Gouda)

(the base is the same both for sweet and salted versions)

Sieve the flour and put i tinto a container, add the egg, a pinch of salt, and whisk adding gradually the milk. You will have a semi-dens batter. Set aside and rest for 20 minutes at least (ideally for 1 hour).

On medium-high heat, melt a teaspoon of butter into a low pan, add a spoonful of batter and spread it evenly on the whole surface by moving the pan.

Add the slices of ham or bacon on the batter when it is still liquid. Cook on a side for one minute, then flip it and cook the ham side for 1 further minute.

Flip it back again, add the sliced cheese and let it melt down on a medium-low heat for a further minute or until brown. Close the pancake (roll it or just fold it).

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Ready in 30 minutes

400 grams tomato sauce*

5 eggs

80 grams Parmesan cheese (grated)

4 slices of toasted bread

*For a quick tomato sauce in a pan fry for 4 minutes half garlic clove with 3 tbs of extra virgin olive oil. Retain the garlic and add 400 grams of canned tomato puree. Season with 1 full tsp of sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, let simmer for 7/8 minutes (to evaporate the exceeding water). Add 5 or 6 fresh basil leaves and continue with the recipe.

Heat the tomato sauce.

Meanwhile beat the eggs together with the parmesan cheese. Pour the egg mixtures onto the tomato sauce.

At low heat let the eggs gently cook unitil they get creamy. Serve with toasted bread and season with extra grated parmesan cheese.

15 pieces circa

Reasy in 2 hours

(filling to be prepared the night before)

Filling:

6 hard boiled egg-yolks

150 grams granulated sugar

60 grams mlik powder

80 grams coconut milk

70 grams cornstarch

120 grams unsalted butter (soft)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Dough:

420 grams all-purpose flour

100 grams cornstarch

7 grams active dry yeast

half tsp baking powder

70 grams granulated sugar

20 grams vegetable oil

240 grams warm water

Blend the hard boiled egg-yolks with the other ingredients.

Put in fridge for 2 or 3 hours until thickened (in case put it 30 minutes into the fridge to have it thicker), spoon the mixture into 20 single portions and roll them quickly with you hands in form of balls. Freeze them overnight.

To prepare the dough, mix all the dry ingredients, make a well in the center and pour in the wet ones. Mix and knead well for 15/20 minutes (add flour or water if necessary). The dough should be soft and still a bit wet.

Set aside fro first proofing. After 1H/1H30 mins, break the first proofing and set aside once again for other 40 minutes. Divide the dough into 20 small portions.

Take a portion of dough into your palm press in a frozen filling ball and close the filling with the dough, seal it well.

Put the Liu Sha Bao into a bamboo steamer, cover with the lid, put into a pan and pour boiling water into the pan (2 cm), Steam, covered, at medium heat for 8/9 minutes maximum (do not overcook or the filling might spill out). Serve hot.

Quantities are fro 2 plum cakes baking tins

370 ml condensed milk

370 ml milk

12 egg yolks

60 ml water

220 grams brown sugar

Pre-heat oven to 180° C.

In a casserole put the sugar and the water and bring to boil firdst and let caramelise later. Once hazelnut colour, coat a baking tin (plumcake). Cool down.

Meanwhile in a container mix the milk with the condensed milk and stir. Add the egg yolk (passed through a sieve).

Pour the mixture into the 2 baking tins.

Put in a bigger tin and fill into the bigger tin pour hot boiling water up to 2/3 of the tins.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Unmould (use a knife to loosen the edge before turning them upside-down).

Serves 4

Ready in 20 mins

200 ml fresh cream of milk

160 grams parmesan cheese grated

30 small asparagus

4 poached eggs

Recipe: Poached Eggs

Clean the asparagus as shown in pictures.

Boil the asparagus in hot salted water for a 8/10 minutes (keep the tip outside the water so they remain crunchy. Set aside and keep warm..

In a saucepan bring the cream (or the milk) to boil. Retain from fire and add the parmesan. Set aside.

Compose the plate: pour 2 tbs of sauce at the bottom of the plate, put the poached egg gently in the center and top with the asparagus. Serve.

Serves 4

ready in 20 minutes

2 tbs white vinegar

2 tbs water

a pinch of salt

3 egg yolks

250 grams butter

2 lemon drops

Bring to boil the water and the vinegar and reduce to 1/3.

Take off from fire and let cool down a bit. Meanwhile melt down the butter in a double saucepan. Add the egg yolks lightly beaten to the vinegar and water reduction. Mix well.

Return the pan on the fire – medium low heat an whisk in the melted butter slowly. Until the sauce is fluid and smooth.

Never bring to boil. The egg will thicken the sauce but if it boils it might separate. In this case add a few drops of water.

Keep warm until served.

The queen of all egg recipes. Beat lightly 2 eggs per person, add a pinch of salt. Get ready with your topping (cheese or anything else you might like).

Heat 1 tbs of butter (butter not oil!), pour the egg mixture and tilt the pan in order to spread the egg. Still the center soft, top with your favourite ingredient.

Now roll the omelette: move the pan and let the omelette slightly slide a little at the edge, using a spatula fold one side into the center and then close it with the other side. Serve.

English Breakfast (for Two)

2 fette di pane carré / 2 slices of bread

2 uova / 2 eggs

8 fette di pancetta tesa affumicata / 8 slices bacon

Prepariamo un English Breakfast!

Con un coppapasta (o un bicchiere) tagliare un cerchio al centro del pane.

Let’s make an English Breakfast!

With a cookie cutter bug enough (or a simple glass), cut the center of the slice of bread as shown in the picture.

Saltare la pancetta in una padella per 3/4 minuti. Mettere da parte.

Fry the bacon in a pan for 3/4 minutes. Set aside.

Mettere le fette di pane nella padella. Versare lentamente un uovo intero nel buco, cuocere da entrambi i lati finché non sarà abbastanza rappreso. Impiattare con la pancetta e servire.

Put the slices of bread in the pan. Pour slowly an egg into the hole. Cook both side until it is hard enough. Put into the plate along with the bacon and serve.

4 uova / 4 eggs

40 gr parmigiano grattugiato / 40 gr grated parmesan cheese

2 porri / 2 leeks

Sale e pepe / salt and pepper

3 cucchiai d’olio d’oliva / 4 tbs olive oil

Pulire e tagliare a fettine i porri.

Clean and slice the leeks.

In una padella scaldare l’olio a fuoco basso e unire i porri.

In a pan heat the oil on low heat and add the leeks.

Cuocere per 10 minuti a fuoco medio-basso unendo 2 cucchiai d’acqua.

Smmer for 10 minutes at medium-low heat, and add 2 tbs of water.

Nel frattempo sbattere leggermente le uova con il parmigiano e un pizzico di sale.

Meanwhile beat lightly the eggs with the parmesan and a pinch of salt.

Quando i porri tendono a diventare traslucidi, unire le uova.

When leeks are translucid, add the eggs. 

Cuocere a fuoco medio-basso per altri 8/10 minuti. Mescolare frequentemente. Quando raggiungono una consistenza cremosa sono pronte. Pepare e servire.

Cook at medium-low heat and stir frequently. When the consistence is creamy they are ready. Serve with a pinch of ground pepper.

Occorrono 6 stampini / you need 6 ramekins

500 ml di latte / 500 ml milk

3 uova intere e 1 tuorlo / 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk

120 gr zucchero / 120gr granulated sugar

Vaniglia bacello / Vanilla flavour

Buccia di limone (un pezzetto da 2 cm) / lemon peel (2 cm)

Caramello / caramel:

130gr zucchero+2 cucchiai acqua / 130gr granulated sugar+2 tabelspoons water

Bollire il latte con la vaniglia e la buccia di limone. Togliere dal fuoco, filtrare e fare intepidire.

To prepare the Crème Caramel, boil the milk with the vanilla and the lemon peel. Set aside, filter with a colander and cool down a bit.

Preparare il caramello. Mettere lo zucchero e l’acqua in una casseruola. Lasciare cuocere a fuoco medio-basso fino allo stadio caramello color nocciola (non mescolare mai). Ancora caldo versare poco alla volta negli stampini.

Prepare the caramel. Put in a small casserole the sugar and the water and let go (never stir) on a medium low heat until it reaches the caramel step (it should be brown). Still hot pour it slowly into each ramekin.

Sbattere le uova con lo zucchero (non sbattere troppo non devono montare o incorporare troppa aria). Aggiungere il latte. Ora versare negli stampini già caramellati.

Meanwhile beat gently the eggs with the sugar. Do not whisk too much (you do not need to have them increased in size). Add the milk. Now pour into the caramelised ramekins.

Porre a bagno-maria con acqua fino a 2 cm sotto il bordo degli stampini. Mettere in forno a 130° per circa 1 ora. Non cuocere oltre, e fare attenzione che l’acqua del bagno-maria non bolla mai, altrimenti sapranno di omelette.

Put in bain-marie (water should be 2 cm under the edges of the ramekins). put into the oven at 130° for 1 hour. Do not cook longer, and never let the bain-marie water boil, otherwise it will taste as an omelet.

Raffreddare e mettere in frigo. Per sformarlo incidere il perimetro del creme caramel con un coltello e rovesciare sul piatto.

Cool down and put into the fridge. To unmould it, run the tip of a knife around the edges of the creme caramel to loosen from the ramekin and turn it upside-down on the plate.

NOTA: per evitare sappia di uovo attenersi alla temperatura segnalata/To avoid the egg taste, keep the oven at the given temperature.