Ingredients (serves 4)
For the pancakes
- 75g wholemeal flour
- 75g plain flour
- 300ml milk
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and extra for frying
- A pinch of salt
For the mince
- 450g ground beef
- 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 red pepper, cored, sliced and cut in small dice
- 1 heaped tsp tomato paste
- 150ml red wine
- 150ml beef stock
- A small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
For the cheese sauce
- 50g unsalted butter
- 50g flour
- 500ml milk
- 100g parmesan, grated
- A pinch of nutmeg
For the roast tomatoes
- 4 bunches of small tomatoes on the vine
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
To cook the mince, bring a saucepan to a medium heat and add the onion. Sweat for 4-5 minutes till translucent and add the garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes more and add the carrots and peppers. Continue cooking stirring from time to time until the vegetables are soft. Increase the heat and add the mince. Use a wooden spoon to quickly brown the mince, breaking it up continuously. Add the tomato paste and stir for a minute before adding the wine. As soon as the wine has evaporated, add the stock and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To make the pancakes, put the flour, oil and salt in a large bowl and add the milk. Whisk to mix thoroughly and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Bring a large frying pan to a medium-high heat and add a splash of olive oil. Pour a ladle full of pancake mix and cook until set. The underside should be golden. Use a spatula to help you turn the pancake over to brown on the other side. Transfer each cooked pancake onto a plate and leave to cool.
For the cheese sauce, melt the butter in the pan. Add the flour and stir continuously for 3-4 minutes to cook the flour. Add the milk in 3 stages, whisking vigorously so as to stop any lumps forming. Cook the sauce till it thickens. Add half the cheese, nutmeg and season with some sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to incorporate. If you don’t use immediately, lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the cheese sauce to stop it forming a skin.
Grease an oven proof dish and preheat the oven to 2000C.
Put the tomato bunches on a baking tin, drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with some salt flakes. Bake until the skin is charred.
To bake the pancakes, take one at a time in your hands and make a cone. Lay the cone flat in the greased dish and using a spoon, fill it with a quarter of the mince mix. Repeat with the remaining three pancakes. Spoon the cheese sauce over the pancakes and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
Cook the pancakes till golden, approx. 20-30 minutes. Serve a pancake on each plate with a bunch of roast tomatoes.