Bacon and ricotta pancakes with apple and sage

Last month, you might remember that I posted a review of Bacon: The Cookbook by Niamh Shields. If you’ve not read it here’s a quick summary: I loved it! So much so, that today, I’m talking about the book again and this time, with Niamh’s permission, I’m sharing her tasty bacon and ricotta pancakes with apple and sage!  We had these last weekend for brunch and they were the perfect balance of savoury and sweet. I love streaky smoky bacon with maple syrup but adding the apples is a genius move. The pancakes were so fluffy, I definitely recommend trying them with ricotta and will most likely use this method next time I make them, even if its not with the bacon and apple.

Bacon and ricotta pancakes with apple and sage

Shared with permission from Niamh Shields 

These fluffy bacon and ricotta pancakes are a more delicate approach to brunch. Fluffy American-style pancakes meets cheesecake meets bacon, apple and sage. These pancakes are luxurious but they are also light. The ricotta gives them a pillowy yet creamy feel, the apples infuse a lovely sweetness that bounces off the bacon, and the sage a layer of savoury crispness. Fried sage is an absolute gem of an ingredient and a perfect garnish.

As with all pancakes, these are best if the batter is allowed to sit for a bit before frying. Let it rest for an hour to allow glutens to stretch. The starch molecules swell also, which means the mixture will get a little thicker, the end result being a pancake with a lighter texture.

INGREDIENTS

Makes: approx. 8 pancakes

For the pancake batter:

• 200g (7 oz) ricotta cheese
• 100ml (31⁄2 fl oz) milk
• 2 eggs
• 75g (21⁄4 oz) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder pinch of sea salt

For the sage garnish:

• 10 sage leaves butter, for frying

For the apple mixture:

• 25g (1 oz) butter
  2 tbsp maple syrup, plus extra to serve
• 2 apples (I like Gala or Discovery; use ones that are not overly sweet but also have some sharpness), peeled, cored and cut into wedges extra butter, for pancake frying
• 1 slice of bacon to serve per pancake (but obviously as much as you like!)

METHOD

1. Make your pancake batter first. Mix the ricotta, milk and eggs and combine well with a fork or whisk in a mixing bowl.

2. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. (Sifting introduces air and lightness.) Stir the flour in gently.

3. Fry off a small portion of the batter and taste to check seasoning; adjust the remaining batter if necessary, then rest the batter for an hour in the fridge.

4. While the batter is resting, prepare the other ingredients. Fry the sage leaves in a little melted butter until crisp (taking care to remove them gently before they go dark brown). Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.

5. To make the apple mixture, melt the butter in a pan and add the maple syrup. Add the apple wedges and cook them gently over a medium heat, using a spoon to baste them with the butter and maple syrup as they cook. They are ready when golden and tender. Remove gently from the pan and keep warm while you prepare the pancakes.

6. You can fry three pancakes at a time in a large frying pan. Add some butter to the pan and when melted add approximately half a ladleful of batter per pancake to the pan. Cook gently over a medium heat. When holes start to bubble through the surface, they are ready to flip. Flip and cook on the remaining side until golden, which should just take a couple of minutes.

7. While the pancakes are cooking, fry the bacon to desired crispness.

8. Serve immediately or keep the bacon and  ricotta pancakes warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining ones (and you could keep the apples in the oven too). Serve the pancakes in small stacks with apple wedges and bacon on top and an extra drizzle of maple syrup. Place the crisp sage leaves on top, taking care as they break very easily. They are worth it, though, as they taste great.