Buckwheat Crepes

Make the filling first – or use leftover meat sauce if you have some. Heat oil in a frying-pan and add onions to soften. Add minced beef and cook together for 10–15 minutes until the onions are caramelised and mince is browned. Add tamari soy sauce, canned tomatoes (drain off excess juice) and tomato paste. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often to ensure even cooking. The mixture should reduce by a third. Add basil, then remove from heat and keep warm while you make the buckwheat crêpes.

To make the crêpes, sift flours and combine with a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl melt butter and cool before whisking in milk and eggs. Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture a little at a time, whisking to break up any large pieces. Blend until smooth. If the batter is at all lumpy, pass it through a sieve.

Melt a little extra butter in a non-stick frying-pan and ladle in about ¼ cup of batter, lightly coating the pan. Remove from heat and swirl to cover the bottom of the pan evenly with batter. Return to heat. When small bubbles form in the batter, turn crêpe over and cook until golden brown. Continue cooking one by one, turning crêpes onto a plate. Cover with a towel to keep warm. Makes approximately 8 crêpes.

To make up the crêpes as shown, spoon some mince mixture in the centre of each crêpe. Fold the crêpes over and place on warmed individual serving plates. Drizzle with a little warmed cream, finely diced tomato and herbs if desired. Alternatively, garnish with melted cheese and lightly grill for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

^{An extract from Minced with photography by Alan Gillard. Published by Penguin Group NZ. Copyright © Sue Hamilton and Dana Alexander, 2010. RRP $35.00. Available at all good booksellers nationwide.}