Green pea pancakes with lemon whipped cream

A great brunch or lunch option!

I love the look of happy surprise on people’s faces the first time they bite into these little gems. The pancakes themselves are delicious and have a wonderful texture, and the lemon whipped cream adds yet another layer of flavour. Add mascarpone or cream cheese to whipping cream not only improves its taste; it also prevents the whipped cream from deflating as quickly. They’re great as-is, but if you wanted to take things a step further, topping these fresh blini-like pancakes with smoked salmon would make an ideal appetizer for a party.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (145 g) shelled fresh peas (from about 1 lb / 454 g pods) or frozen peas, thawed
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup (250 g) ricotta cheese
• 1 /4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour (regular or gluten-free)
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) water
• 1/3 cup (15 g) minced chives (or scallions), plus more to garnish
• Neutral oil, for frying

Lemon whipped cream

• 2/3 cup (160s mL) heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (75 g) mascarpone or cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons (38 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons (4 g) freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

• If using fresh peas, cook in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 3 minutes (if using frozen peas, thaw but do not cook). Drain thoroughly and set aside.
• While peas are cooking or thawing, prepare lemon whipped cream. Put heavy cream and mascarpone or cream cheese in a large bowl and beat, using an electric or stand mixer, until well blended and thickened. Add sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and continue beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate until needed.
• Make batter by puréeing eggs, ricotta, flour, butter, water and salt in a blender (or use a stick/immersion blender) until smooth. Transfer batter to a medium bowl and stir in peas and minced chives.
• Preheat oven to 250F and place a wire rack on a baking tray; set aside.  
• Heat a teaspoon or two of oil (amount depends upon size of pan and whether or not it is non-stick) in large skillet (preferably non-stick) placed over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add batter to skillet (I use a 1/3 cup measure), spreading out to 4 or 5 inch (10 or 12.5 cm) rounds with the back of a spoon. Do not overcrowd the pancakes as you’ll need room to flip them.
• Cook pancakes until bubbles form on top, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook until pancakes are browned on bottom and the centres are just cooked through, about 2 minutes longer.
• Transfer cooked pancakes to the wire rack on the baking sheet and place it in the preheated oven.
• Cook remaining batter in the same fashion, adding a little more oil to the skillet as needed.
• When all pancakes are cooked, divide among serving plates and top with a dollop of lemon whipped cream and a sprinkling of minced fresh chives.

Makes approximately 12 pancakes; recipe can easily be multiplied.