Ingredients
| 1 handful | Spinach leaves, stems removed (Main) |
| ⅓ cup | Plain flour |
| 1 tsp | Baking powder |
| 1 pinch | Baking soda |
| 1 | Egg, separated |
| 125 ml | Buttermilk, see note below |
| 1 | Shallot, very finely chopped |
| 1 tsp | Fresh parsley, finely chopped |
| 1 tsp | Chives, snipped |
| ½ cup | Ricotta cheese (Main) |
| 1 Tbsp | Olive oil |
Directions
- Wilt the spinach in a saucepan or frying pan with just the water that is clinging to its leaves. Remove from the heat and leave to drain in a sieve. Squeeze out any excess liquid then chop.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl and make a small well in the centre. Using a fork, whisk together the egg yolk and buttermilk. Pour into the well in the flour and whisk until smooth.
- Mix in the finely chopped shallot, herbs and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Crumble in the ricotta.
- Whisk egg white until soft peaks form and fold into the batter. (Remember to fold 1 tablespoon in first to lighten the mixture).
- Heat a large frying pan over a low heat and add the oil. When hot, spoon in the mixture making 4 large or 8 small pikelets. Turn pikelets when you see large bubbles appear in the mixture. Pikelets will turn quite dark on both sides before they are cooked in the middle.
- Serve warm with salad leaves dressed in a vinaigrette, chunks of hot smoked salmon or cooked and flakedA fresh salmon.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk in this recipe makes for lighter pikelets. You can make your own by combining 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white, apple cider or rice vinegar. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.