Bob Blumer mixes local blueberries with Scandinavian flair and the result is a seasonal, savoury and sweet treat that will have everyone saying, “Det är jättegott!”
Most pancakes are sugar bombs made with granulated sugar and topped with sugary syrup—and they’re often finished with powdered sugar for that final knockout punch. One moment you are enjoying a heady sugar rush, and the next you are crashing hard.
But, these pancakes are inspired by a transcendent dinner I had at Fäviken, Magnus Nilsson’s now-closed 16-seat restaurant nestled in the middle of Jämtland, Sweden. Magnus is at the vanguard of new Nordic cuisine (along with Noma’s René Redzepi). His cooking honours local ingredients that sometimes appear to be foraged by woodland fairies. This recipe doesn’t require you to forage for anything, but it does honour the Scandinavian sensibility of incorporating savoury, herbaceous ingredients into dishes where North Americans would least expect them. When these flavours are combined with Canadian wild blueberries—one of Canada’s indigenous fruits—the results are sweet enough for breakfast, but savoury enough to keep you from bouncing off the walls.
Canadian Wild Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes with Rosemary Balsamic Maple Syrup
¾ cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
¾ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, divided
1 ¼ cups buttermilk (or 1 cup plain yogurt
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup water)
1 egg
1 cup fresh or frozen Canadian wild blueberries, divided
zest of 1 orange
½ cup maple syrup
1 tsp best-available aged balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
10 black peppercorns
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a large pan, melt 1½ tbsp butter. Add melted butter to a second bowl, along with buttermilk and egg. Reserve the pan. Use a whisk to mix.
Slowly pour wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients, using a rubber spatula to incorporate. Do not over mix. Batter should be thick and airy, but not too thick. The proportions of the flour and cornmeal to buttermilk should get you to the right spot, but it may be necessary to add a couple of additional tbsp of flour or buttermilk. Use your instincts.
Gently fold in ¾ cup blueberries and orange zest. Let batter rest for 15 min. Bubbles should form in the batter. Just before you start cooking the pancakes, in a small pot over medium heat, add maple syrup, balsamic, rosemary, peppercorns and remaining blueberries. Bring to a high simmer, then reduce to a low simmer for about 5 min. Reserve.
In the pan you used to melt the butter, over medium/medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp butter. (If you have a second pan, you can set it up with a tbsp of butter over medium/medium-high heat as well, so that you can work both pans at the same time to cook all the pancakes at once.)
When butter is sizzling, drop in ¼-cup dollops of batter. Cook until bubbles form on top (after 2 min, sneak a peek under pancakes and adjust the heat if pancakes are browning too much before bubbles start to form). Flip and continue cooking for about 90 sec, or until browned on the bottom and cooked throughout. Repeat with remaining batter if necessary.
To serve, top with warm syrup, leaving the peppercorns behind in the pot.
Wild Canadian Blueberries
These berries are sweeter, more sustainable and more nutritious than their cultivated cousins, due in part to the fact that their smaller size and thicker skin result in a greater skin-to-pulp ratio and consequently higher levels of fibre and antioxidants. They also retain their shape better when baked or cooked.
I‘ve foraged for wild blueberries in several provinces, but sadly the season is fleeting. Fortuitously, Canadian wild blueberries are available year-round in the frozen section of your local grocery store.
