Ployes for A Taste of Yellow

It is, obviously, my first time participating in A Taste of Yellow, an event to Support LiveSTRONG Day, hosted and created by Barbara of Winos And Foodies. I thought long and hard about the recipe I would be making for the event. I wanted to make a dish that meant something to me, something traditional. And then it hit me: ployes. These griddle cakes are just the right color and I’ve been eating them for as long as I can remember.

Just for the fun of it, I googled ployes to see if I could find anything about them on the net. I was stunned to find recipes for ployes on Food Network Canada, RecipeZaar and various other recipe sites! No two recipes are exactly the same and that’s the way it has always been. There might be as many ways to make ployes as there are people who make them! They can go from thick and crumpet-like to thin as a crêpe, it all depends on who’s at the stove! The shade of yellow the ployes will be depends on the brand of flour and baking powder used to make them. Once, my dad couldn't find his usual brand of baking powder and ended up with bright orange ployes!

My paternal grandmother was a cook in a logging camp when my dad was a small boy and she would make these buckwheat pancakes everyday for the loggers. They’re a tradition in Edmundston New Brunswick, and often served with baked beans, cretons (which is a meat spread), molasses or brown sugar. You can also have a taste at La Foire Brayonne, a yearly fair featuring music, arts and crafts, food, and all sorts of activities. My son and daughter love ployes (the wee one hasn’t tasted them yet!), they even eat them for breakfast with Nutella, but that’s not traditional at all!

So there you have it folks, ployes for A Taste of Yellow. A traditional, comforting family favorite for all our loved ones out there who fight cancer every day.

Ployes (Buckwheat Pancakes)

These are traditionally cooked on a cast iron skillet but an ordinary skillet would do as well. Just make sure not to turn them over when cooking. You’ll know they’re cooked when the surface is dotted with bubbles and dry to the touch. If you find the batter is too thick, just add water until the batter is to your liking.

1 ½ cups of buckwheat flour
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups of warm water

Mix together dry ingredients. Add water and mix well, incorporating as much air as possible (that will help with the bubbles!). The consistency of the batter should not be too thick so add water if necessary. Spoon batter onto a hot skillet. Cook until the bottom is a little crispy and the top is dotted with bubbles and dry to the touch, you shouldn’t need to turn the ployes. Serve warm with butter or anything else you’d like to try them with!

EDIT: It's been brought to my attention that the brand of baking powder used might affect the color of your Ployes. I've always used Magic brand baking powder. Hope this helps!