Matafan de courge au jambon - Testing

 Madeleine Kamman's Savoie, pg 204

This looks very much like the Pescajoune from the Languedoc region. There are loads of variations in Kamman's book, but given that it is autumn and we have far more hams from our first crop of pork than we know what to do with, this is where I'm starting.

1 - Not at all like the Pescajoune. A really interesting light and fluffy pancake, not at all like a tough flapjack. It was challenging. I made it with Queensland Blue pumpkin and it was good. The pancakes are pretty delicate, so it's super important to have very thin and pliable slices of ham otherwise the pancakes just tear. And there isn't enough sauce. The boys (Ben and Paz) really liked the sauce, and I agree, there wasn't enough of it, so I'm making a few adjustments.

2 - Decided to try making just one huge pancake. It worked out pretty well, more like a stove-top souffle than a pancake. It was surprisingly filling, so I'd say it's a meal for 4 people. I'm uncertain about the format, still. I will try pancakes again, taking note to cut the ham quite thin.

3 - I composed another version of the recipe as a single cake. I quite like it, but it requires some refinement. For one, it acts a lot like a souffle and I don't have a fry pan deep enough to prevent it from sticking to the lid, which means that the top doesn't cook, and when I need to flip it the batter sticks to the plate and it gets all messy. I've been using a 10" pan, maybe I need to use a wider one? Or do I make it in one of my big soup pots? No, that has 'burn' written all over it. Ok, it's the wider pan, then. If that doesn't work, then it's either buy a deeper 10" pan or reduce the volume of ingredients for a smaller dish.

For 4 people

4 Tbsps melted butter

2/3 cup cold mashed winter squash (pumpkin in Kamman's book)

2/3 cup flour

6 eggs, separated

3/4 - 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp vinegar with milk to make 3/4 - 1 cup liquid)

1/2 tsp salt

6 VERY thin slices baked ham

1/2 1 cup heavy cream

1/2 1  cup grated Gruyère cheese

Pepper to taste

Pinch of nutmeg (1/4 tsp?)

VERSION 1 - Individual cakes:

1. Melt the butter and let cool a bit before adding it to the ingredients below.
2. Combine the squash, the egg yolks, the buttermilk, the butter and the salt.
3. In a large bowl, place the flour and make a deep well in the middle. Pour in the liquid and mix just until combined - mixing too much will make a tougher cake. Set aside.
4. Whip the egg whites only to the soft peak stage and gently fold them into the batter.
5. To cook, place a 8" + pan on the stove at medium heat and let heat up about 5 minutes.
6. Add a pat of butter to melt, then a ladleful of batter and spread to a thickness of 1/4". The cakes cook pretty quickly and burn easily. If they start to burn before 2 minutes, lower the temperature.
7. As the cakes cook, start the fondue sauce.
8. Allow the cake to brown before flipping, about 2 minutes per side.
9. Once cooked, lay a slice of ham on top and roll each cake. The cakes are very delicate, and the thinner the slices the better. I don't yet know if uniform large slices are better than smaller ones to roll up like a roman blind. Set aside in a warm oven to keep hot.
10. In a saucepan, heat the cream for the sauce. Allow to very slowly simmer until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.
11. Add the cheese, pepper and nutmeg.
12. When the cakes are all cooked and rolled, spoon the fondue evenly over each cake and serve hot.

VERSION 2 One Big Family cake: 

1. Melt the butter and let cool a bit.
2. Combine the squash, the egg yolks, the buttermilk, and when it has cooled enough, the butter and the salt.
3. In a large bowl, place the flour and make a deep well in the middle. Pour in the liquid and mix just until combined - mixing too much will make a tougher cake. Set aside and allow to rest for at least an hour.
4. Whip the egg whites only to the soft peak stage and gently fold them into the batter.
5. To cook, place an 8" + pan (with a lid) on the stove at medium heat and let heat up a couple minutes.
6. Reduce the temperate to medium low-to-low. Add a pat of butter to melt, then pour in the batter. Replace the lid. The cake cooks pretty quickly and burns easily, so adjust the temperature if you feel like it's cooking too quickly.
7. As the cake cooks, start the fondue sauce.
8. Allow the cake to brown before flipping.
9. Once the underside is browned, flip the plate on top of the pancake, hold firm with your hand, grab the handle of the pan and flip the pancake onto the plate. Set the pan back on the stove-top and arrange the ham slices on the bottom. Slide the pancake back into the pan on top of the ham to finish cooking, just enough to lightly brown.
10. In a saucepan, heat the cream for the sauce. Allow to very slowly simmer until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.
11. Add the cheese, pepper and nutmeg.
12. When the cake is cooked, turn it onto a plate with the ham slices up, spoon the fondue over it and serve hot.