100g plain white flour (or a mix of 50% white and 50% Bacheldre Watermill Stoneground Spelt Flour)
2 large Welsh organic eggs, at room temperature
30g Caws Teifi Salted Butter, melted, plus extra to grease
For the pickled cucumber
2 large cucumbers, peeled
1tbsp Halen Môn Anglesey Sea Salt (PDO)
100ml Jones Trust Your Gut Cider Vinegar
1-2tbsp The Snowdonia
Honey Company Spring Wildflower Honey
1⁄4tsp Chinese five spice powder
For the toppings
4 spring onions, very finely sliced lengthways and soaked in iced water until curled
1 x 170g Black Mountains Smokery Smoked Whole Duck Breast, at room temperature
2tbsp The Welsh Saucery Brown Sauce
1-2tsp Welsh Homestead Smokery Chipotle Smoked Chilli Jam
Method
For the pickled cucumber, slice the cucumbers as thinly as possible using a mandoline, or in a food processor with a slicing attachment. Spread the slices out in a colander and sprinkle the salt over, mixing well, then stand the colander on a plate and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with plenty of cold water, drain well and transfer to a medium bowl.
Dissolve the honey in the vinegar (start with 1tbsp honey and add more if you think it needs it). Stir in the Chinese five spice powder. Pour this mixture over the cucumber and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour before serving.
To make the crempog, put 50ml water in a jug, stir in the salt to dissolve, then mix with the milk. Put the flour, eggs and melted butter in a food processor with the milk mixture. Alternatively, put them all in a bowl and use a liquidiser or stick blender. Process or blend until you have a smooth, light cream that will just coat the back of a wooden spoon – you are looking for a thin crêpe batter rather than a drop scone consistency. If it seems a bit thick, whisk in a little more water. Pour into a jug, cover and let the batter stand in a cold place for at least an hour or overnight.
When ready to cook, give the batter a good whisk. Line a plate with non-stick baking paper. Heat a 12cm blini pan (or thick iron griddle or heavy frying pan) until a drop of water will just hiss when it hits the pan. Dip a piece of kitchen paper, folded into a thick pad, into the melted butter and rub over the pan or griddle just enough to make it shine.
Pour just enough batter into the pan to cover the bottom thinly. A good trick to get a thin crempog is to add a ladleful of the batter to the pan, swirl it around and immediately pour the remaining batter back into the jug. Tilt the pan quickly this way and that until the bottom is evenly covered. If using a heavy frying pan or a griddle, try a small ladleful and use the base of the ladle to swirl and spread it out to 12cm. Using a palette knife, lift up the edge after around 2 minutes to see if the crempog is a deep golden- brown colour underneath. If it is, flip it over and cook for about 1 minute longer. Transfer to the lined plate. Continue with the remaining batter to make about 12 crempog, stacking them on the plate.
Preheat the grill to medium and line the grill pan with foil. For the toppings, drain the spring onions well and pat dry on kitchen paper. Drain the pickled cucumber slices but do not pat them dry.
Set the duck breast, skin-side up, on the grill rack and grill for 2-3 minutes, to warm and soften the fat only. Cut the duck into thin slices.
To assemble, take a crempog, set it brown-side up and spread a scant tsp of the brown sauce over it. Cover with slices of the pickled cucumber, piling them up a little, and arrange 3-4 duck slices on top at an angle. Add a tangle of spring onions and repeat with the remaining crempog. Serve immediately.
COOK’S NOTE
If you prefer, you could put all the finished ingredients into separate bowls on a board alongside the sliced duck and let everyone assemble their own crempog.
Recipes by Maxine Clark, food styling by Lizzie Harris, Photography by Peter Cassidy, props styling by Angela Dukes
