Buckwheat Galettes With Spinach And Goat Cheese In Mont Saint Michel, France

A trip to Mont Saint Michel is an unforgettable experience. The abbey of Mont Saint Michel is one of the most iconic sights in France. Images of the abbey walls and church spire looming above the small island off the coast of Normandy are seen everywhere in guide books and travel posters, and it attracts more than a million visitors every year. In spite of this familiarity, your first sight of the island is magical, as it stands like a fairy castle levitated above the ocean.

The island has been a holy site for at least fifteen centuries, starting as a retreat for hermits and monks. Religious buildings dedicated to the Archangel Michael were erected on the island by the eighth century and these slowly grew into a full-fledged abbey. The dukes of Normandy were generous benefactors, allowing the monks to prosper in wealth and power. The abbey’s location off the French coast made it a conspicuous target during the wars that raged between England and France, and it was burned down in a siege in 1204. The King of France had it rebuilt in the grand Gothic-style that we see today.

Mont Saint Michel became a major pilgrimage site during the middle ages, attracting devotees from across Europe. Its importance declined by the seventeenth century until it was seized by the republican government during the French revolution and converted into a prison. A campaign to rescue the abbey from this sorry fate, led by writers such as Victor Hugo, persuaded the government to declare it a historic monument in 1874. Careful restoration work helped preserve the historic buildings for future generations.

Today as you walk the streets of Mont Saint Michel you feel yourself transported back to medieval Europe. Narrow staircases lead you from the city gates, located at sea level, all the way up to the church that crowns the island. Ancient half-timbered houses lean over the streets, though they now house restaurants and shops rather than pilgrims.

A good place to sample local crepes is at Creperie La Sirene. Situated in a lovely 15th century building, this bustling restaurant serves delicious buckwheat crepes stuffed with a variety of fillings, topped with a golden runny egg. Tuck into one of these crisp, savoury treats and sip refreshing Normandy cider as you feel yourself transported to medieval times.

These easy to prepare Galettes are sure to become a healthy favourite at your table! To achieve those authentic lacy edges, I sometimes add a pinch of active dry yeast to the batter which also makes them crispy. You can play around with the filling if you want, substituting ham, salami, tomatoes or Gruyere cheese and topping your Galette with a fried egg. Be sure to try my recipe for Ham and Cheese Crepes as well!

Buckwheat Galettes With Spinach And Goat Cheese

For the Galettes:

1 cup buckwheat flour

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Salt to taste

1 1/2 cups water

2 eggs

2 tbsp melted butter

For the filling:

2 tbsp oil

1 medium cooking onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

Few sprigs of thyme

6 cups fresh baby spinach

Salt to taste

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Melted butter for cooking Galettes

Combine the two flours and salt in a deep bowl, whisk in the water until smooth.

Add eggs and butter and whisk until smooth. The consistency should be that of pancake batter.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. This step is very important to get the lacy edges and tiny holes in the Galettes.

Leave batter on the counter top for an hour before you are ready to cook, to let it come back to room temperature.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Warm oil in a non stick skillet on medium heat.

Add onions, garlic and thyme. Saute until lightly browned and softened, about 5 min.

Add baby spinach by the handful, cooking and stirring to wilt it, about 3 min.

Add salt, remove from heat and cool for 5 min., then gently fold in the goat cheese. Transfer filling to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

To make Galettes, season the pan first by warming 1/2 tsp butter in large non stick frying pan or crepe pan set over medium heat, then wipe most of it off gently with a paper towel. You only need to this once before you begin cooking all the Galettes.

Add about 1/3 cup of the batter to the pan and swirl the pan in a circular motion to evenly distribute the batter in a thin layer over bottom of pan. Drizzle some butter around the edges to crisp them up.

Cook until batter dries up on top and underside and edges of Galette are crisped, about 2-3 min.

Spread about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture evenly over centre of Galette, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges.

Fold over edges of crepe in a rectangular package, leaving just the center exposed. Cook for another couple of minutes two to crisp Galette some more.

Serve Galettes hot off the stove and repeat with remaining batter, butter and filling.

Makes about six - eight Galettes