Swiss Chard Pancakes with Lemon Berbere Butter

These hearty savoury pancakes are smothered in a richly spiced lemon butter for a superb brunch treat

10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cook

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the pancakes:

150g plain flour, sifted

6 spring onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

250ml milk

2 large eggs

8 Swiss chard leaves, tougher stems discarded, finely chopped

A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

10 chives, finely chopped

A sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg

Sunflower oil or rapeseed oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the lemon berbere butter:

100g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tsp berbere spice mix (Seasoned Pioneers do a good one)

Zest of 1 lemon and 2 tbsps lemon juice

Method

To make the berbere butter, cream the butter in a small bowl. Add the spice, lemon zest and juice, season with salt and pepper, and mix well. Form into a long roll, then cover with clingfilm and put it in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 100°C/Fan 80°C/Gas ¼, line a baking tray with foil and put it in the oven to keep the pancakes warm while you make them. Put the flour, spring onions, milk and eggs in a blender or food processor and whizz to make a batter. Add the Swiss chard and garlic and whizz briefly so there are still some longish strands of green leaves. Pour into a bowl and stir in the herbs, nutmeg and seasoning.

Place a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Smear generously with oil using kitchen paper, and heat until hot enough that a droplet of batter sizzles. Add 2 tablespoons of the batter to make small farçous, or you can make several pan-sized ones instead. Cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned underneath and turning frilly at the edges. Flip over and cook for a further 2 minutes. Keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Serve with the lemon, berbere butter.