In Bali last year we happened on a lovely little cafe called Quince Cafe in Badung. Its run by a Balinese guy and an Aussie lass, and boy do they know their flavours. One breakfast dish was Polenta Pancakes, stuffed with bacon and spring onions, served drowned in creme fraiche, tumbled with cubes of honey roasted pumpkin. It was so good, when I got back to Melbourne I set out to recreate the recipe. I think I got pretty close.
The polenta adds a wonderful crunch to the pancakes, but they are still light and fluffy. The bacon and spring onion inside the pancakes is good and savoury, a perfect foil to the sweet honey roasted pumpkin and tangy creme fraiche.
They’re so good, why just have them for breakfast?
Bacon and Spring Onion Polenta Pancakes with Honey Roasted Pumpkin and Creme Fraiche
Serves 4-6 (makes 12 pancakes)
Bacon and Spring Onion Polenta Pancakes
ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup polenta
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
50g spring onions, finely sliced
185g streaky bacon, diced
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
60g butter, melted
4x15g cubes butter for frying pancakes
mixing
Combine the dry ingredients, spring onion and bacon in a large bowl. Add the eggs, milk and melted butter and mix to combine.
Heat a heavy based pan over a medium heat. Toss in a cube of the butter for frying and swirl to melt. Spoon 1/4 cup quantities of the pancake mixture into the pan, making three pancakes at a time. Cook the pancakes on the first side until bubbles start to form on the uncooked surface, then flip the pancakes too cook the tube side, about 2 minutes further.
Repeat with another cube of butter and cook another three pancakes until you have 12. Keep warm in a 60 degree oven, or let cool on a wire rack then reheat using a toasted sandwich press.
To serve, place a pancake onto a plate, then dollop some Creme Fraiche on top. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of honey roasted pumpkin over, then top with another pancake and repeat the Creme Fraiche and honey roasted pumpkin. Garnish with sliced spring onion.
Honey Roasted Pumpkin
ingredients
1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 1.5 cm cubes
2 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp honey
salt, to taste
Creme Fraiche, to serve
mixing
Heat the honey and oil together to combine. Place the cubed butternut in baking dish lined with bake paper. Pour the ones oil over and toss to coat. Season generously with salt. Roast the butternut for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius until the cubes are soft but not mushy.
Enjoy!xxx
