Pan-Roasted Pear & Gruyère Buckwheat Galettes with Jammy Sunny Eggs
Bonjour, my friends! If there is one thing I brought with me from my classical training in Paris, it is a deep, unwavering love for buckwheat galettes. But here in California, we like to let the sunshine in. This recipe is a love letter to my roots in Brittany, kissed by the golden light of the Pacific coast. I remember lingering at a little cafe in Douarnenez, watching the crêpière spread batter with effortless grace. Years later, staring at a box of gorgeous Bosc pears from my local farmer, Mateo, inspiration struck. Why not bridge the old world and the new? We are wrapping nutty buckwheat in crisp perfection, melting alpine Gruyère, and adding pan-roasted pears caramelized in thyme-scented butter. Crown it all with a jammy sunny egg and a bright squeeze of Meyer lemon—because every rich dish needs a little wink of acidity. My biggest tip? Do not be precious about the fold. Rustic is the whole point, darling. Pair this with a chilled glass of skin-contact natural wine, and suddenly, breakfast feels like an event. Bon appétit!
Featured Recipe
Pan-Roasted Pear & Gruyère Buckwheat Galettes with Jammy Sunny Eggs
A sun-drenched bistro breakfast bridging Brittany and California, featuring crisp, nutty buckwheat galettes folded around melted alpine Gruyère, delicate French ham, and firm Bosc pears pan-roasted in thyme-scented butter. Crowned with a perfectly jammy sunny egg and a bright squeeze of Meyer lemon, this is morning comfort at its most chic.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour(preferably stone-ground blé noir)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour(lends just enough stretch to prevent tearing)
- 0.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup cold water
- 0.25 cup whole milk
- 5 large eggs(1 for the batter, 4 for frying in the galettes; farm-fresh with golden yolks)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter(high-fat European-style butter, divided)
- 2 large Bosc pears(firm-ripe, cored and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 0.25 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp Meyer lemon juice(freshly squeezed)
- 4 slices Jambon de Paris(or quality prosciutto cotto, roughly 4 oz total)
- 1 cup Gruyère cheese(shaved or coarsely grated, packed)
- 0.25 tsp flaky sea salt(such as Maldon or Fleur de Sel)
- 2 tbsp fresh chives(finely minced)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter(Used in step 1 and step 3)
- 1 large eggs(Used in step 1)
Instructions
- 1
In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup buckwheat flour, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Pour in 1 cup cold water, 1/4 cup whole milk, 1 large egg, and 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter. Whisk vigorously until smooth and bubbly like heavy cream. Set the batter aside to rest at room temperature while you roast the pears.
5 min
Tip: Resting the buckwheat batter lets the starch grains hydrate properly, which keeps your galettes supple rather than brittle when folded.
- 2
Melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter in a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foaming and fragrant. Lay 2 large Bosc pears cut into wedges into the pan in an even layer. Add 4 sprigs fresh thyme and 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Pan-roast without moving them for 4 to 5 minutes until deep amber on the bottom, then turn the slices and roast another 3 to 4 minutes until tender with caramelized edges. Finish with 1 tsp Meyer lemon juice, transfer pears and thyme to a plate, and wipe the skillet clean.
9 min
Tip: Don't fidget with the pears while they sear! High heat and butter will coax out their natural sugars and create that rich mahogany crust.
- 3
Set a large nonstick crêpe pan or 10-inch skillet over medium heat and lightly grease with a touch of 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Pour in a scant 1/3 cup of the rested batter, immediately swirling the pan so it coats the bottom in a paper-thin, lacy round. Cook undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes until the edges curl slightly and the underside is golden and crisp.
3 min
Tip: If your batter thickened while resting, whisk in an extra tablespoon of cold water—it should flow easily across the hot pan surface.
- 4
Scatter 1/4 of 1 cup shaved Gruyère cheese across the center of the galette and lay down 1 slice of 4 slices Jambon de Paris, making a small nest in the middle. Crack 1 of 4 large eggs directly into the nest. Using the tip of a spatula, gently spread the egg white outward across the cheese so it cooks rapidly while keeping the yolk whole. Scatter 1/4 of the warm pan-roasted pears around the egg. Cover with a lid for 2 minutes to gently set the egg white until opaque and the yolk is perfectly jammy.
3 min
Tip: Spreading the egg white across the hot cheese cooks it in under two minutes without cooking through your gorgeous, runny yolk.
- 5
Uncover the skillet. Using a thin spatula, fold the four outer edges of the galette toward the center to create a neat square frame around the sunny yolk. Slide the finished galette onto a warmed serving plate. Repeat the process with remaining 1 tbsp unsalted butter, batter, 1 cup shaved Gruyère cheese, 4 slices Jambon de Paris, 4 large eggs, and roasted pears to make 4 galettes in total. Garnish all galettes with 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt over the yolks and scatter with 2 tbsp minced fresh chives.
10 min
Tip: Keep finished galettes warm on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you finish the remaining three, or cook two at a time if you have dual skillets.
Chef's Notes
In Brittany, a galette complète is the holy grail of Sunday mornings—traditionally ham, melted cheese, and a sunny egg. Here, we bring in the California sun: firm autumn Bosc pears seared in good butter with woody thyme and a kiss of Meyer lemon. The sweet caramelized fruit cuts right through the salty ham and nutty alpine cheese. Serve this immediately with a glass of crisp, unfiltered dry cider or a skin-contact natural wine.
Marguerite Lavigne
French soul, California sun
I grew up in a small village outside Lyon, where my grandmother taught me that the best meals come from respecting your ingredients. After training at Le Cordon Bleu and spending years in Parisian kitchens, I moved to San Francisco and fell in love with California's farmers markets and wine country. Now I cook the food I wish my grandmother could taste—French technique with California abundance, where a perfect roast chicken might come with Meyer lemon and wild fennel instead of tarragon.