Summer Lake Inn’s Polenta and Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
Crepelike, with a delectably crunchy texture and a sweet bite of blueberry, these pancakes are delicious stacked and drizzled with warm maple or fresh fruit syrup or on their own rolled like a wrap and eaten out of hand. Summer Lake Inn is at 31501 Oregon 31, Summer Lake; 800-261-2778; www.summerlakeinn.com.
Makes 10 to 12 4-inch pancakes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup coarse polenta (see Note)
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (see Note)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup blueberries
Vegetable oil for brushing the griddle
Warm maple or fruit syrup
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda and polenta and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and melted butter.
Heat a cast-iron skillet or large nonstick griddle until hot enough that drops of water dance across the surface. Brush or spray with a thin film of the oil.
Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until just blended. Gently fold in the blueberries. (This should be done right before cooking so that the polenta remains crunchy.) For each pancake, pour a scant 1/4-cup batter onto the griddle and cook over medium to medium-low until bubbles appear on the top and the edges brown. Flip and cook until golden on the other side, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with warm maple or fruit syrup.
Note: At the inn, coarse polenta, or yellow cornmeal, is used for greater texture. A medium ground polenta also can be used.
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can create a workable substitute by adding 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon milk.
Adapted from Jean Sage, Summer Lake Inn; Paisley, Oregon
This recipe is recommended for the beginning to intermediate cook.