Chestnut Cattail Pollen Crepes with Elderflower Mascarpone


If you've gone to all the trouble to collect cattail pollen, you want to make something truly magical with it. I'm very fond of cattail pollen pancakes, plain and simple and served with butter, only butter, thank you very much. This year, inspired by Alain Ducasse's recipe for chestnut crepes, I decided to step up my game.

If you can't find chestnut flour, just make regular crepes, substituting 1/3 of the flour with cattail pollen. But if you can find chestnut flour, please indulge! It's malty flavor is the perfect complement to your hard-earned cattail pollen. Guild the lily with a little mascarpone sweetened with elderflower cordial, and top it all with whatever wild fruit you have available (in my case, wild currants stewed with more elderflower cordial), and you have a ticket to heaven. So kick back in that leather recliner of yours and enjoy the perks of going first class.

Want to learn more about collecting cattail pollen? Click through here.

My friend Hank Shaw just made cattail pollen pasta the other day. You should check it out.

Chestnut Cattail Pollen Crepes


1 c. chestnut flour
1/4 c. cattail pollen
1/4 c. flour (or gf flour blend of your choice)
2 pinches salt
2 eggs
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. milk

1. Whisk together the chestnut flour, cattail pollen, flour, and salt in a large bowl.

2. Add the eggs, water, and milk, and continue to whisk until the batter is smooth. The batter should be thin, similar to the consistency of heavy cream. If your batter is the wrong consistency, add a touch of either milk or flour to make it thinner or thicker.

3. Cook the crepes in a crepe pan or on a griddle. After ladling batter into your pan, use the back of your ladle to push the batter out into the thinnest possible circle. Wait until bubbles become visible before turning your crepes over. These crepes are delicate, so make them on the smaller side and flip them very carefully. Cook on each side until the crepes are lightly brown.

4. Serve your chestnut cattail pollen crepes rolled up with elderflower mascarpone inside.


Elderflower Mascarpone


4 oz. mascarpone cheese
2 Tbsp. elderflower cordial

Using an electric mixer, whip the mascarpone cheese and elderflower cordial until light and fluffy.





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