Manfrigole are consolation meals from Valtellina, a valley within the North of Italy close to Switzerland. I encountered them for the primary time through the wine journey to Lombardia final fall, the place we loved them for each lunch and dinner. Manfrigole are buckwheat pancakes, full of a white sauce with Casera cheese. They are often served with extra white sauce, or with butter and sage. Typically bresaola or pancetta are additionally included. Casera cheese may be exhausting to seek out exterior of Italy or certainly exterior of Valtellina. It’s a cow’s milk cheese that you would be able to substitute with one other mountainous cow’s milk cheese resembling Fontina or Gruyère for those who can’t discover Casera. It received’t be genuine with out the true cheese, however it’ll nonetheless be scrumptious. Be certain that to make use of buckwheat flour, as a result of that’s important to get the flavour proper. Buckwheat has a pleasant considerably nutty taste. Surprisingly sufficient, most recipes (in Italian) for manfrigole I discovered on-line have the improper portions for the pancake batter, which makes it manner too thick. It appears they’re principally copies of the identical recipe. Under are the right proportions.
Substances
For 4 servings as a foremost course or 8 to 12 servings as an appetizer
For the pancakes
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cup) milk
- 2 eggs
- 120 grams flour (beneficiant 3/4 cup)
- 120 grams buckwheat flour (beneficiant 3/4 cup)
- pinch of salt
- butter for frying the pancakes
For the white sauce
- 40 grams (3 Tbsp) butter
- 40 grams (4 Tbsp) flour
- 400 ml (1 2/3 cup) milk
- 250 grams (.55 lb) Casera cheese, crust eliminated and diced
- freshly grated nutmeg
- salt and freshly floor black pepper
For serving
- 100 grams (about 1 stick) butter + extra for greasing the oven dish
- 8 recent sage leaves
Directions
Put 400 ml milk and a couple of eggs in a big bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Add 120 grams of sifted flour, 120 grams of sifted buckwheat flour, and a pinch of salt.
Combine with a picket spoon till there are not any extra lumps.
That is considered one of uncommon exceptions when a non-stick frying pan works finest. Preheat the pan over medium warmth to keep away from ruining the primary pancake. Soften about 1/2 tablespoon of butter.
Enhance the warmth to medium-high. Tilt the pan till it’s utterly coated with butter. Add 1/4 of the batter and tilt the pan to distribute it evenly.
When the highest of the pancake appears dry, verify beneath with a spatula. When it’s golden brown, flip the pancake. The method is precisely the identical as for Dutch pancakes, so extra photographs and a extra detailed rationalization right here.
Don’t put the pancakes on a stack, since you need them to chill off. Repeat till you might have 4 pancakes.
Make a primary white sauce with 400 ml milk, 40 grams butter, and 40 grams flour, utilizing my directions. Making white sauce may be very fast and straightforward for those who do it my manner.
Decrease the warmth. Season the white sauce to style with freshly grated nutmeg, freshly floor black pepper, and salt.
Add 250 grams of diced Casera cheese.
Stir over low warmth till the cheese has melted utterly, then flip off the warmth and permit to chill considerably.
Unfold out the cheese sauce on the pancakes, leaving the outer rim naked.
Roll up the pancakes, wrap them in cling movie, and refrigerate them to agency up. They are often ready up till this level and saved within the fridge.
To serve the manfrigole, preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease an oven dish with butter. Slice the manfrigole into sections of about 5 cm (2 inches) and place them within the oven dish.
Bake the manfrigole within the oven at 180C/350F till golden brown and heated by way of, 20 to 25 minutes.
Soften 100 grams of butter in a saucepan. Add 8 recent sage leaves, and cook dinner them over low warmth till the sage is crispy and the butter is barely browned, then flip off the warmth.
To serve, drizzle the manfrigole with the melted butter, and garnish with the sage.
