Savoury Pancakes: 8 Fillings Worth Making

The sweet pancake has had a monopoly it does not entirely deserve. Treat a thin pancake like a crêpe — or like a soft wrap — and most of what works in a good sandwich also works folded inside batter.

Ham and Gruyère (the galette complète)

The French galette complète — ham, Gruyère, and a fried egg on a buckwheat pancake — is one of the finest things you can eat for under £3 at home. Use a buckwheat batter if you have the flour, or a standard thin batter if you do not. Lay a slice of good cooked ham and grated Gruyère or Comté on the pancake while it is still in the pan, fold the four edges inward to form a square, and crack an egg into the centre. Cover with a lid for 90 seconds until the egg white sets. Slide onto a plate and eat immediately.

Smoked salmon and crème fraîche

Spread a generous tablespoon of crème fraîche on a warm pancake, lay over smoked salmon (two to three slices), add a squeeze of lemon and a few capers if you have them. Roll or fold. Do not heat — the salmon is best served cold against the warm pancake. This is the fastest filling on this list and the most impressive-looking.

Mushroom, garlic, and spinach

Fry sliced chestnut mushrooms in butter with a crushed garlic clove until golden and most of the moisture has cooked off — this takes about eight minutes and should not be rushed. Add a large handful of spinach and let it wilt. Season well with black pepper and sea salt. Spoon onto a pancake and fold. Optional additions: a tablespoon of crème fraîche, a small spoonful of soft goat's cheese, or a grating of Parmesan stirred through the mushrooms before filling.

Scrambled egg and bacon

Make the scramble loose — slightly underdone, since it continues setting after you fill the pancake and fold it. Use proper back bacon rather than streaky for more substance. A thin pancake folded over scrambled egg and crispy bacon is a better breakfast wrap than most things sold as breakfast wraps. A few drops of hot sauce are not wrong.

Brie and caramelised onion

Caramelise a large white onion slowly in butter with a pinch of sugar — this takes at least 25 minutes on low heat and cannot be rushed without burning. Slice ripe Brie. Put both on a warm pancake, fold, and press lightly in the pan for 30 seconds so the Brie softens into the onion. This is a lunch or dinner, not a snack. A small pile of dressed rocket alongside cuts the richness well.

Goat's cheese and roasted red peppers

Roasted red peppers from a jar are underrated convenience food. Pat them dry, slice into strips, and combine with soft chèvre. The sweetness of the pepper and the sharpness of the cheese balance well without any additional seasoning. Add a few rocket leaves and fold. Three minutes of assembly, no cooking beyond the pancake itself.

Creamed spinach

Cook down a large bag of spinach in a dry pan, drain thoroughly, and squeeze out as much water as possible — this step matters. Return to the pan with a tablespoon of butter, a small grated garlic clove, a tablespoon of double cream, and a grating of nutmeg. Stir until combined and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into the pancake and fold. Classically French, genuinely simple.

Tuna, sweetcorn, and crème fraîche

A drained tin of good tuna (in olive oil, not brine), a handful of sweetcorn, and two tablespoons of crème fraîche, seasoned with black pepper and a small squeeze of lemon. Stir together and use as a filling cold or warmed briefly in a pan. This is the most family-friendly filling on the list and the quickest to put together — useful when half the table wants something sweet and half wants something savoury.

Making savoury pancakes work

Use a thin batter — thicker batter competes with the filling rather than framing it. Cook the pancake until it is fully set and slightly golden before adding anything. If you are using cheese, fold the filled pancake and return it to the pan for 30 seconds with a lid on so the cheese melts properly. Season every filling more than you think you need to.