Galettes are a crepe made from buckwheat flour and stuffed with savoury fillings. A traditional french dish and method from Sinead Allart, our french food correspondent.

For the real french Galette, you’ll need "

500g buckwheat flour
4 dessertspoons of plain flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of milk
40cl cold water
2 dessertspoons of oil

1. Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and salt. Mix well. Whisk in milk and 5cl water. Add the oil and leave to rest for 24 hours. (Makes about 24)

Savoury fillings
I like to prepare my crêpes/galettes, leaving one side less-well cooked than the other.
I prepare my filings, place my galette (less cooked-side down) on a preheated pan and garnish. Once garnished, reheat gently, fold and serve immediately.

However, some people cook the galettes completely, leave to cool, brush with melted butter, garnish, fold and reheat in a preheated oven (200°C) for about 6 minutes. The advantage here is that they can be prepared in advance and reheated. Also, everyone eats at the same time!

Fillings for 4 galettes

Ham, cheese and egg
Try 4 slices of ham (chopped) with 150g grated Cheddar/Emmanthal and 4 dessertspooons of crème fraîche. Place the cheese and ham on your galette over a low heat. Break an egg on top and let it cook gently. Fold and serve immediately with a tossed green salad.
 
Smoked salmon and creme fraiche
4 slices smoked salmon
4 dessertspoons of creme fraiche
Juice of half a lemon
Pepper

1. Mix the creme fraiche, lemon juice and pepper together. Lay a slice of smoked salmon on each galette, top with a spoon of creme fraiche, and fold.

Sardine filling
1. Mix 6 sardines (tinned) with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 40g  butter, 1 desertspoon of parsley (chopped). Melt 30g butter and pour over the galettes.
2. Spread the sardine ‘butter’ on the galettes, fold in four and reheat in oven for 6 minutes (200°C).

Galettes Forestière
600g mushrooms, chopped
60g butter, melted
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablspoon chopped parsley
4 teaspoon cream
salt/pepper

1. Melt a little butter in a pan.  Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and continue cooking until mushrooms are cooked.  Throw in the parsley. Spread the rest of the melted butter on the galettes. Add the mushroom mix and a teaspoon of cream.
2. Fold the outer parts of the galette into the centre, forming a square. Reheat in a preheated oven (200°C) for 6 minutes.

And what do you drink with these specialities?
Cider, traditionally, in cups that also, traditionally, were never washed! Everyone had their own little cider cup. However, today, as fillings are often of varying flavours, a light red wine, or fruity white, or a nice rosé does the job too.

Sinead Allart runs The Wilde Kitchen Cookery School in France – read all about her life as an Irishwoman living near Cherbourg here.