Cook This: Maudet’s Buckwheat Crêpes

When I first met Benedicte Maudet, a native of Brittany, France, earlier this year to write about her new crêpe-making business on East Haley Street, she was working on expanding from traditional wheat-based crêpes to include a gluten-free, buckwheat-based option, as well. Those crêpes, which are also known as galettes, recently landed on the shelves of Whole Foods, so I decided to work them into my brunch over the past weekend.

Though they heat up easily in the microwave, I opted for a lightly buttered pan, which gives the slim pancakes a crispy touch. After a gentle flip, I dropped in a couple of chunks of brie cheese and allowed it to start melting. At the same time, I fried an egg in another pan, to about three-quarters done, and then dropped that into the galette. Top with arugula and Parmigiano-Reggiano, fold the sides over as much as possible, plop it onto your plate, and then finish with a light vinaigrette. It works great as either breakfast or lunch and goes well with some chilly sips of grassy sauvignon blanc.

You can also go sweet — I tried a lavender-honey chèvre version, drizzled with more honey, as well — but the slightly yeasty tang to the buckwheat seems to pair better with savory styles. If you’d prefer something more sugary, go for Maudet’s organic traditional crêpes. Or just cut to the chase, and order her premade chocolate-hazelnut version. There’s a small world of cooking in just these three types of crêpes that she offers, so give them a try yourself.