Plutonic Love – Italia’s Mint Pancakes

Mint Pancakes

If you’re looking for a sugar free alternative to the typical Shrove, Fat, Martedi Grasso waist extenders you could try Italia’s sublime mint pancakes.  These ‘savory’ pancakes veiled with some mature pecorino and a drizzle of peperoncino oil are wonderful warm, great taken on a picnic and make a fab Sunday brunch after you’ve been pottering around in the garden.

Italia making pastaItalia is our neighbour who despite her late years should write a cookery book, such a wizard is she in the kitchen.  I am not sure if these mint pancakes were her own invention for her husband Domenico, who hasn’t got a sweet tooth, or a local farmer’s treat recipe that goes back to the beginning of time.

 It’s the sort of thing if I worked on the land that I could appreciate being served at 9.00 am after spending 2 hours sitting on my tractor or bent double weeding or hoeing.  Obviously the early glass of white wine she serves with the pancakes helps reach those parts that breakfast coffee doesn’t.

The Story of Mint

I am always a little surprised by how much mint there is locally and how it’s used in dishes, one of my favourite combinations being duck and mint.   Abruzzo’s favourite storyteller son Ovid makes mention of mint in his Metamorphoses.  Myntha was a nymph of divine beauty who was transformed into the plant in a jealous fit of rage by Pluto’s (Hades) wife Proserpina (Persephone) who was the ancient goddess of harvest.  It was Pluto who gave the plant the aroma as a lasting gesture of his love.

It’s funny that this tangle of two women still holds true today, like a lot of rural Italy alongside lemon verbena, mint was planted locally on banks to stop soil erosion.   I can’t imagine what would happen to harvest without the banks of these 2 plants  that surround the village, they save it from the death of local tarmac that ends up washed away down at the bottom of the hill when there is a heavy downpour.  Everything has a reason as they say, it’s not just there for my superficial love of walking past and inhaling deeply after a shower when the smell is divine and where I am transported to when eating these savory pancakes.

Plutonic Love - Italia's Mint Pancakes

Italia di Felice
Italia's delicious savory mint pancakes
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 43 minutes
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 100 g Plain Wholemeal Flour
  • 2 Eggs
  • 75 ml Water
  • 175 ml Semi-skimmed milk
  • Glug of Olive Oil
  • 2 large handfuls of roughly chopped Mint

Instructions
 

  • If you haven’t got a food blender to blend the batter together, sift the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well. Add the salt and eggs.
  • Mix the water, milk and olive oil together and pour slowly into the flour and egg mixture until you have a smooth consistency. Add the chopped mint and leave to stand for half an hour in the fridge.
  • Heat a little oil (groundnut or sunflower or if you prefer butter) on a medium heat and add a small ladleful of batter. Swirl the batter in the pan when it’s set turn over and cook for another 30-50 seconds. These pancakes are not skinny crepes in style a little bit thicker, think Farmer’s pancakes so do require a few seconds more to cook.
  • Serve with pecorino and peperoncino oil.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Sam Dunham
Author: Sam Dunham

Sam is a very lucky midlife 'mamma' to A who is 12 and juggles her work as a self-employed freelance SEO food and travel copywriter and EFL teacher. She is the founder of the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, co-founder of Let's Blog Abruzzo. she is the founder of the 'English in the Woods' initiative, teaching English outdoors in a forest style school.


0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
All about Abruzzo in a slow travel & food blog
A co-operative travel + food blog guide & thriving marketplace keeping you connected to Abruzzo – Italy’s rocky heart!

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish! Accept Read More

Tradurre »