Buckwheat galette with mushroom and egg
A home take on the French buckwheat galette — a crisp, thin pancake folded around mushrooms sautéed with tangerine peel and a soft-set egg. Light and cheering in the morning.
- 25 min
- Serves 2
- Pan-fry
- Medium
Why it suits you: Short winter days can leave qi-stagnation types low and off their food. Buckwheat moves qi down and eases the bowels, mushrooms regulate qi and perk up the appetite, and tangerine peel keeps qi flowing, while a soft egg makes it filling. A change to a Western-style breakfast lifts the mood too.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min- 1The night before, whisk the buckwheat flour, 1 egg, the water and a pinch of salt into a thin batter and chill overnight. Soak the tangerine peel and cut it into fine shreds.
- 2In the morning, slice the mushrooms. Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the mushrooms and tangerine peel over medium heat; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- 3Wipe the pan with a little oil, pour in a ladle of batter and swirl it thin. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute until the edges lift.
- 4Crack an egg into the centre and spread half the mushrooms around it. When the white sets, fold the four sides in and cook until the yolk is just set.
- 5Repeat for the second galette, scatter with spring onion and serve.
Cautions
- Buckwheat is cool — don't overdo it with a cold, weak stomach or loose stools.
Chef's tips
- Chilling the batter overnight makes it smoother; wait until the edges lift before folding so the galette doesn't stick.
The TCM view
Buckwheat is sweet and cool, opening the appetite, easing the intestines and moving qi down; mushrooms are sweet and neutral, strengthening the spleen, opening the appetite and regulating qi; dried tangerine peel is pungent, bitter and warm, regulating qi; egg is sweet and neutral, nourishing yin and blood and calming the mind. Qi-regulating and appetising overall, it suits qi-stagnation types at the Winter Solstice.
