Crique Ardéchoise

Crique Ardéchoise

A golden, crisp potato pancake from the Ardèche region of southern France, bound with eggs, garlic, and cheese. Traditionally cooked in a heavy pan over a wood fire, it develops a deep crust while staying tender inside.

Prep

15 min

Cook

25 min

Total

40 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (1 lb 5 oz) waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte or Belle de Fontenay; do not floury/mashing varieties
• •4 whole (4 large) eggs
• •60 g (½ cup) freshly grated Gruyère or tomme, tomme de l'Ardèche is the most traditional
• •2 cloves garlic, finely grated or crushed to a paste
• •30 g (2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, plus a little more for the pan
• •1 tsp fine sea salt
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, optional, for serving

Steps

1. 1 Peel the potatoes and grate them on the coarse side of a box grater. Working quickly, tip the grated potatoes into a clean tea towel and squeeze firmly over the sink to extract as much liquid as you can - this is the key to a crisp crique rather than a soggy pancake.
2. 2 In a large bowl, beat the 4 eggs with the salt and pepper. Stir in the grated garlic and chopped parsley, if using.
3. 3 Add the well-drained grated potatoes and the 60 g grated cheese to the bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands or a wooden spoon until the potatoes are evenly coated and the mixture looks wet but not loose.
4. 4 Heat a 24 cm (9-inch) cast-iron or heavy non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the 30 g butter and let it foam and turn pale golden. Swirl to coat the base and a little of the sides.
5. 5 Tip the potato mixture into the pan and press it down firmly into an even, compact layer with a spatula - a 1.5–2 cm (about ¾ inch) thick disc.
6. 6 Cook gently for 12–15 minutes over medium-low heat without stirring, so a golden crust forms on the bottom. To check, lift an edge with a spatula - it should be deeply golden and crisp.
7. 7 Flip the crique: place a large flat plate or a sheet of baking parchment over the pan, hold it tightly against the pan with one hand (use an oven mitt), and invert the pan in one quick motion so the crique lands on the plate. Add a little more butter to the pan if it looks dry, then slide the crique back in, uncooked-side down.
8. 8 Cook the second side for another 8–10 minutes, pressing gently with the spatula, until it is also deeply golden and crisp and the centre feels set rather than damp when pressed.
9. 9 Slide onto a board, cut into wedges, and serve immediately, while the outside is crisp and the centre stays creamy from the melted cheese.