Wholegrain-fiscalini Cheddar Pancakes Recipe

Remove duck ham from refrigerator. Pat dry with paper towel and, if slices are large, stack and cut each slice into 6–8 bite-sized pieces so each pancake can get a few pieces. Roughly chop pecans and lightly toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 2–3 minutes; cool.

Shred Fiscalini cheddar if not pre-shredded. Finely chop chives.

Measure and have buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter ready at room temperature.

Dry ingredients

In a large bowl whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, all-purpose flour, ground oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and dark brown sugar until evenly combined.

Wet ingredients

In a separate medium bowl whisk buttermilk, eggs, melted butter, and olive oil until smooth and slightly foamy.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine. Fold in the shredded Fiscalini cheddar (reserve a tablespoon for garnish) and chopped chives. Fold in the chopped duck ham pieces and half of the toasted pecans so they are distributed but batter remains aerated.

If batter seems very thick, add up to 2 tablespoons extra buttermilk to reach a pourable but slightly thick pancake batter that holds inclusions.

Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. Brush a thin layer of butter or lightly oil the surface. Test temperature by sprinkling a few drops of water — they should dance and evaporate.

Spoon 1/4 cup (about 60 ml) batter per pancake onto the hot griddle, leaving space between pancakes. Sprinkle a few extra pieces of Fiscalini cheddar and duck ham on top of each pancake immediately so they adhere.

Cook until edges look set and bubbles form and begin to pop on the surface, 2–3 minutes. Flip carefully and cook the second side until golden brown and cooked through, 1.5–2 minutes more. Adjust heat as needed to prevent overbrowning. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing the griddle with a little more butter between batches.

Stack cooked pancakes on a warm plate. Scatter remaining toasted pecans over the stack and finish with reserved tablespoon of shredded Fiscalini cheddar and a light grind of black pepper.

If desired, warm the maple syrup or melt the serving butter and drizzle a little over the pancakes for a sweet-salty contrast. Serve immediately so cheese is melty and ham is warm.

Suggested plating: 3 pancakes per person, garnished with extra chives and pecans. Provide extra maple syrup and butter at the table.