Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Pancakes with Hot Goat Cheese Sauce

ROASTED RED PEPPER PANCAKES
WITH HOT GOAT CHEESE SAUCE

"Roasted Red Pepper Pancakes taste extravagant napped with silky Hot Goat Cheese Sauce. For a celebration lunch, the pancake may also be topped with cold California golden caviar and sour cream, or, for a less rich alternative, they may be topped with chopped garden-fresh chives with their colorful blossoms. Serve as a first course or alongside fresh corn on the cob and roasted meats or fish."

1 1⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup milk
1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and minced
3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for saut ing
Hot Goat-Cheese Sauce (for serving, recipe follows)

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and milk. Add the milk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients and beat well until evenly blended.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer or a balloon whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites gently into the batter until no white streaks are visible. Fold in the minced roasted red pepper until evenly distributed.

Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat until a drop of water skates over the surface. Using a tablespoon at a time for each batch, melt the butter in an even layer over the surface to grease. For each pancake, ladle 2 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle, making pancakes no more than 3-inches in diameter. Cook until bubbles form on the surface, the edges are dry, and the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn once, cooking the opposite side until golden, about 1 minute. The second side will take half the amount of time to cook as the first side does, and the pancakes will be quite light in texture.

Serve immediately with Hot Goat-Cheese Sauce.

HOT GOAT CHEESE SAUCE
Makes 1 3/4 cups sauce

1⁄2 cup dry white wine
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
5 ounces fresh goat cheese
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper

Combine the wine and garlic in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and reduce the liquid to 1⁄4 cup.

Add the cream, goat cheese, and white pepper. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Use immediately or keep warm by setting in a hot water bath for up to 2 hours.

Makes ten (3-inch) pancakes
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Harvard Commons Press
Source: The Best Quick Breads by Beth Hensperger