Is it just me or is there something totally rock and roll about this recipe? Buckwheat crepes sounds to me exactly like what the Red Hot Chilli Peppers eat for breakfast. They are the kind of health-focused, but super fancy thing that big Californian rockers would go to the Chateau Marmont and order without taking their sunglasses off. No gluten in these puppies, so your laid-back surf rocker physique won’t have to process any gluten. Nice and high in protein to keep up that muscle tone. And covered in a golden ooze of sexy sexy salted caramel. That’s right. Two sexy’s. Or maybe this would be the Hollywood actor’s breakfast of choice? Those guys are pretty into health too, right? I can definitely see Alec Baldwin tucking into a plate of these with his new young wife (I love Alec Baldwin, though his tweets are slightly crazy). Do you think Gwyneth Paltrow would be into these? I know she has some pretty full on food requirements. There are a lot of thangs stricken from her diet according to what I hear about her latest cookbook – which I would totally buy. I haven’t bought it yet though. If you have, can you let me know if you think this would make the cut? I suspect the buttery caramel may be where it falls down. But these crepes are health conscious enough for the Hollywood elite, surely? No gluten whatsoever, these are purely made from sweet, nutty Buckwheat flour. I love the sweetness this flour brings to the party, even before it’s cooked. Buckwheat has a fragrant and almost grassy taste that stands up to other flavours, without getting totally lost like traditional wheat flour often does. Not only that, but our good friend Buckwheat has none of that pesky gluten which it turns out that a bunch of us have trouble digesting. My sister and my Dad are two who cannot hack it whatsoever. When they first found out, it was the mid nineties and gluten free food, well, it didn’t really exist at the time. We used to have pancakes, and those poor suckers would eat these hockey-puck-like buckwheat pancakes made from a box mix. Not good, my friends. Not good at all. Gluten-free food, and people’s awareness of cooking with alternative flours has totally blossomed over the last few years. Now whole-grains and alternative flours are all the rage, and are valued for their individual characteristics, not just the fact they are low-gluten or gluten-free. Take these crepes for example. I mean, you know me. I eat potato-chip sandwiches. Health foods are not my first priority – I care about what tastes good. And occasionally what helps my jeans to close. But these thangs, with their coat of glossy caramel? They are heavenly. The utterly gluten-less Buckwheat means that these crepes have a lacy delicacy that gluten-full wheat flour could never achieve. They have a nutty and rounded flavour that compliments the bitter and complex caramel perfectly. Topped with a hint of saltiness? It’s rock n’ roll, baby. I mean, come on. I ate two of these things while I was photographing them. Please. They are too good.

Buckwheat Crepes with Salted Caramel Recipe

INGREDIENTS: For the crepes: 110g buckwheat flour (organic if you can)

20g caster sugar (raw caster sugar is good)

3 eggs (organic if you can)

300-350mls of milk (I used skim milk, but any would do – almond, soy, coconut, or full cream dairy) For the salted caramel: 150g sugar

60ml cream

60g butter

salt, to taste To make the crepes, combine the buckwheat, sugar and eggs in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and combined. Gradually whisk in the milk until the batter is the texture of very thin cream – you may need slightly more or less liquid. Set aside while you make the sauce To make the salted caramel, place the sugar in a small saucepan with a splash of water. Place over a medium heat, and bring to the boil without stirring the pan – you can swirl it gently if you must. Boil the mixture until the bubbles reduce in size and the sugar begins to colour. Cook to a dark amber colour, or about 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the sugar, which can happen if it is left on the heat too long. Remove the pan from the heat, and carefully add the cream and butter to the pan. The mixture will bubble up and may spit. Once it has calmed down, give it a stir, and then pour into a jug for serving. To cook the crepes, place a crepe pan, or a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Place a small amount of butter, about half a teaspoon, in the pan and swirl to coat. Stir the batter one last time, and using a ladle, place about 1/4 cup of batter in the pan. Working quickly, pick up the pan, and swirl the batter to coat the base of the pan. Cook for around 1 minute on the first side, before very carefully flipping the crepe over with a spatula. They are very delicate because of the lack of gluten, so you may lose a couple. I suggest you eat these at the stove, for quality control. Go ahead, dip them in the sauce. Good, huh? Once they are cooked, they keep warm well on a serving platter under foil. Eat them and enjoy!