Michelin Pancakes at Home

Serves 1
youtube.com

Directions

  1. 1Whisk eight cold egg whites in a bowl with lemon juice until 60% peaks (soft peaks) are formed.
  2. 2Gradually add half the caster sugar to the egg whites and continue whisking, then add the rest.
  3. 3Add cornstarch to the mix and continue to whisk until firm peaks are achieved, where the mix holds its shape perfectly.
  4. 4Add five egg yolks to the mix and gently fold them in to maintain the air.
  5. 5Add salt to the batter and lightly fold it in.
  6. 6Very gently fold in 140g of 00 flour, working lightly to not knock out too much air.
  7. 7Add a touch of milk to the batter and fold gently until you have a voluminous and shiny cake mix.
  8. 8To make the beurre noir, heat butter in a pan, swirling regularly, until the solids become very black and it starts to smoke.
  9. 9Pass the black butter through a cloth and fine sieve to remove the solids, then allow to cool.
  10. 10In a separate pan, reduce the maple syrup on a medium heat until it has reduced by half and set aside to cool.
  11. 11Add light soy sauce to the cooled maple reduction.
  12. 12Using a stick blender or whisk, gradually emulsify the beurre noir into the maple syrup and soy sauce mixture, keeping it moving to prevent separation.
  13. 13Heat a small non-stick egg pan on the lowest setting.
  14. 14Ladle in about 200g (around 3 ladles) of pancake batter into the pan, moving quickly to mimic how you want it to set.
  15. 15Cover the pan with a plate or bowl that fits over the top to help cook the pancakes without a steamer.
  16. 16Cook for about 3-4 minutes, checking regularly to ensure it's not cooking too quickly, until the edges start to set.
  17. 17Gently release the pancake around the outside and flip it.
  18. 18Cover the pan again and finish cooking for around 5 or 6 minutes on the other side.
  19. 19Once cooked, let the pancake cool on a wire rack.
  20. 20Serve with a disc of cold salted butter and generously pour the black butter maple glaze over the pancakes.

Ingredients

  • 100 g Butter
  • 60 g Maple Syrup
  • Soy sauce
  • 240 g egg whites (from 8 large eggs)
  • 20 g lemon juice
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 20 g Corn Flour
  • 100 g egg yolks (from 5 large eggs)
  • 140 g 00 flour
  • 4 g salt
  • 50 g whole milk
  • disc of salted butter

Equipment

bowlwhiskelectric mixer (optional)non-stick panplate or bowl (to cover pan)wire rackstick blenderfine sieveparchment papersteamer (optional)

Tips

  • Hold your whisk at the top for longer whisking jobs to reduce arm fatigue.
  • Lemon juice stabilizes egg whites, making them more voluminous and extending whisking time without splitting.
  • Cornstarch helps stabilize the meringue mix to prevent deflation.
  • Be gentle when folding in egg yolks, flour, and milk to retain air in the batter.
  • For the black butter, take it to the point of smoking for intense flavor and umami.
  • Cook pancakes low and slow for perfect lift, as the air is already incorporated into the batter.
  • Cover the pan with a plate or bowl while cooking the pancakes to mimic a steamer effect.
  • Do not shy away from the glaze when serving.