Blueberry Masterclass

 
The first series of MasterChef Australia has come to an end and I'm left with a sad little hole in my heart. Friday night masterclasses were a highlight at my house and the little tips and tricks demonstrated by both George and Gary have already proved invaluable. Apparently a Celebrity MasterChef is in the works and if it's set to be anything like Top Chef well.. Ho! Ho! I can't wait! It may not get quite as many ratings as the original with its slightly more professional approach but it's about time we aired more established cooking techniques on free to air television (how many apprentices can afford Foxtel anyway?). Now if only they'd bring back The L Word..

Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Butter

inspired by Gary's buttermilk hot cakes

125 g flour
22 g castor sugar
1 g sea salt
4 g vanilla paste
260 g buttermilk
1 egg, separated

Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.

Make a well and pour in vanilla, buttermilk and egg yolk.

Slowly incorporate with flour to prevent lumps.

Whisk egg white to medium peaks.

Fold whites into batter.

Pour circles of batter into a lightly greased skillet and cook over medium heat.

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For the blueberry maple butter I didn't really weigh anything. Grab a handful of frozen blueberries, throw them in a small saucepan with a slosh of maple syrup and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. You just want to defrost the blueberries and reduce the juices that cook out a little. Remove the pan from the stove, drop in a few squares of butter and swirl it all around for a bit (or "monte") until it thickens. Pile the buttermilk pancakes onto your plate and drizzle the blueberry maple butter on top. Yum.