When CHM and I were in Soissons that June day long ago, we had lunch in a restaurant before we went to take photos in the cathedral. The restaurant we chose was a crêperie that also served the savory (i.e. not sweet) crêpes that are called galettes in Brittany and, according to the dictionary, western France. Galettes are thin buckwheat pancakes that are filled with ham, cheese, mushrooms, etc. and often have an egg on top. Buckwheat is called sarrasin in French, so they are galettes de sarrasin. The word galette has many meanings, including what we call a cookie. Essentially, it's a flat, round cake or bread in this context.
The word crêpe is related to the English word "crisp". They're very thin pancakes that are crispy and lacy around the edges. They are not leavened with baking powder the way American pancakes are. The galette above is what I had for lunchin Soissons. It was served with mushrooms in a thick béchamel sauce, with an egg on top and with melted cheese.
I think I can see a slice of ham inside.
The galette also came with a green salad on the side. French salad is often just leaf lettuce with a vinaigrette dressingand some salt and pepper — unless it's a salade composée, which can beserved as a main course (plat principal).
The restaurant, La Galettière, bills itself not only as a crêperie, but also as a saladerie.
As we left the restaurant, I took this photo of our waiter, who was outside taking a cigarette break.
Here's a link to the Tripadvisor page about la Galettière, with many more photos.
As I recall, we could not find a regular restaurant and this crêperie was on our way. And it was fine.
ReplyDeleteIs the name Crêpiot in Saint-Aignan a variety of crêperie?
I was sitting there, in the corner, with my back to the window. I can see it as if it were yesterday!
Galette is also slang for money, the equivalent of dough in English, I think.
DeleteThe Collins-Robert French-Enlish dictionary has a mysterious entry for galette.
DeleteHere it is:
galette
[a]
Cuisine : ( = gâteau ) : a round, flat biscuit
Nautique : ship's biscuit
galette (de sarrasin) ( = crêpe ) : (buckwheat) pancake
galette de maïs : tortilla
galette de pommes de terre : potato pancake
galette des Rois : cake eaten in France on Twelfth Night
[b]
Cinéma : roll
[c]
Slang ( = argent ) : dough , bread , lolly (Brit.)
Il a de la galette : He's loaded; He's rolling in money.
I don't understand the definition of galette (cinema) = roll. In the Wikipédia entry for galette, I see it can mean a spool (the spool the film is wrapped around) in cinematic parlance.
And I don't know what a ship's biscuit is, but I can look that up. I did, and it's what we call hardtack (un unleavened biscuit dried to be rock-hard).
When I google crêpiot, I find not only the restaurant in Saint-Aignan but a recipe for pommes à la pâte ã crêpes. It's a sort of galette with thinly sliced apples in the batter, cooked in a pan on the stove. It resembles a clafoutis but isn't cooked in the oven. In fact, the batter for clafoutis is more or less a crêpe batter. I also see that the recipe might have its origins in Franche-Comté. The name is spelled several different ways. Maybe it is or used to be a specialty of Saint-Aignan's Crêpiot restaurant, which change ownership several years ago. I haven't been there in years.
DeleteInteresting le crépiot. I’ve never beard my grandmother use that term.
DeleteThe notion of galette is something round and flat. It could be small like the cookie called galette bretonne or large as the buckwheat crêpe called galette de sarrasin and the in-between. Even though I had eaten ship’s biscuits, called biscuit de mer in French, I didn’t know that’s what they were called.
As for the cinema, I think the reel is called a galette because, like it’s namesake, it is round and flat. Never heard of it. According to Linguee, roll = reel = bobine (which is another multi-meaning word!).
If I were still valid and at home (which is no more), I’d love to do a mix of those two recipes. I’d use Granny Smith apples. Good idea to precook somewhat the apples before pouring the batter on them. It is a kind of tarte Tatin!
DeleteI’m sure you’re going to make a crépiot soon!!!
DeletePlease show us the crépiot when you make it and let us know how it tastes!
DeleteI’m sure this crépiot can be made with a variety of fruits. Not only apples. Let our Les Bouleaux’ chefs see what they can do!
Delete"Il a de la galette!" That's a good one :)
ReplyDeleteI'd like to dive into that salad - it looks so fresh and tasty. Interesting discussion on galette!
ReplyDelete