Palačinke: Balkan "Not Quite Crepes" with Feta or Sugar

Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love. 

This recipe for Palačinke came from my podcast guest, Nick Campbell. Make sure you listen to his episode Palacinke & Cheesemaking: Nick’s Quest to Honor Baba Saveta’s Legacy while you make his Baba Saveta's Palačinke - not quite crepes, not quite pancakes!   

Palačinke (pronounced pah-lah-chin-keh) may look like French crepe but is a little thicker pancake--though not as thick as American pancakes. Perfect for a group that wants both savory and sweet options (I've shared a few ideas for both down below). 

There is a little debate as to who this delicious treat belongs to; some say it is a Croatian pancake, others say it is a Balkan pancake (which is made up of 11 countries in southeast Europe). Nick's recipe comes from Montenegro, which was once part of Yugoslavia - now broken into Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Somewhere within that beautiful region, this delightful dish was born, and it continues to be enjoyed and celebrated today.

Looking for other pancake recipes? Try this Pönnukökur (Icelandic Pancakes/Crepes) recipe or this Kaiserschmarrn (Fluffy Austrian Torn Pancakes) recipe!

Nick's Memories of Making Palačinke

My baba (grandmother) would make what seemed like hundreds of these crepes whenever any of her grandchildren would be with her for breakfast. She'd be up at dawn and have the batter ready to put into pans, and there was nothing better than a piping hot palačinka sprinkled liberally with sugar, and a cold glass of milk. We would stuff ourselves with them, and she always knew which grandchild to give a darker one to, or who liked feta cheese with theirs instead of a sweet filling. There was nothing I looked forward to more than breakfast at Baba's, and I think this was one of the most loving displays I had in my life.

-Nick Campbell

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Eggs
• Milk 
• Water
• Sugar - can be substituted with vanilla sugar to give your pancakes a little color and extra flavor
• Salt
• Flour - all purpose flour is what I used; substitute with your favorite gluten-free blend if you want these to be gluten-free!
• Neutral oil - traditionally the recipe Nick was handed down uses corn oil but he now uses avocado though you can use any you prefer

Instructions

• Mix the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. 
• In another bowl, beat the eggs into the milk until well incorporated. 
• Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the egg/milk mixture, then add water.
• Add the oil and mix into the batter and allow the batter rest before frying.
• Lightly grease a large frying pan or crepe pan and put over medium-high heat. 
• Pour a ladleful of the pancake batter into the center of the pan and tilt to cover the entire surface.
• When the edges begin to dry and curl, it should be ready to flip. 
• Cook each one until golden brown and continue until the remaining batter is gone.

Sweet Fillings

• Sugar - this is traditional and as simple as you can get! Simply sprinkle some icing sugar or granulated sugar over your Palačinke before serving
• Fruit jam - apricot, plum, cherry, rosehip, strawberry, etc.
• Fresh fruit
• Fruit syrup
• Lemon zest or lemon juice with sugar
• Melted chocolate or Nutella

Savory Fillings

• Salty cheeses - Nick says feta cheese is very traditional and recommends French Valbreso sheep feta or Bulgarian sheep feta like Rodopa
• Caramelised onions
• Sour cream
• Cottage cheese
• Cream cheese
• Thinly sliced meat
• Egg

Rolled or Folded?

Both! Nick's family rolled, but neither is more traditional than the other so it is up to you.

Equipment

• Large skillet or crepe pan
• Mixing bowl

Storage

These are best made fresh, but you can refrigerate the batter covered with plastic wrap for up to 48 hours.

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Recipe

Palačinke

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• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

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Description

Balkan Palačinke are soft, pliable, and warm. Not quite crepes and not quite pancakes, this version from Montenegro is served with soft cheese or sprinkled sugar.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 6 tablespoons neutral oil

Sweet Filling Ideas

• Sugar (granulated or icing sugar)
• Fruit jam (apricot, plum, cherry, rosehip, strawberry, etc.)
• Fresh fruit
• Fruit syrup
• Lemon zest or lemon juice with sugar
• Nutella

Savory Filling Ideas

• Salty cheeses (such as feta cheese; Nick recommends French Valbreso sheep feta or Bulgarian sheep feta like Rodopa)
• Caramelized onions
• Egg
• Thinly sliced meat (prosciutto, ham, turkey, etc.)
• Soft cheese (cottage cheese or cream cheese)
• Sour cream and scallions

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Instructions

Cue Up The Episode!

1. Make sure you listen to Nick's episode of The Storied Recipe Podcast, Palacinke & Cheesemaking: Nick’s Quest to Honor Baba Saveta’s Legacy while you make his amazing Palačinke.

Make The Recipe

1. Mix the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, beat the eggs into the milk until well incorporated.
3. Slowly add and beat the dry ingredients into the egg/milk mixture, then add water until the batter becomes the consistency of heavy cream (can add more water to thin it out if the batter is too thick) then mix the oil into the batter.
4. Allow the batter to rest a little before frying, an hour is best if possible, can rest covered in the refrigerator overnight.
5. Lightly grease a large frying pan or crepe pan and place over medium-high heat.
6. Pour a ladleful of batter in the center of the pan and tilt to cover the entire surface (about 1⁄2 cup works well for a 9-inch pan).
7. When the edges begin to dry and curl, the palačinka should be ready to flip.
8. Cook each one until golden-brown and continue until all the batter has been used.

Notes

Make sure you listen to Nick's episode of The Storied Recipe Podcast, "Palacinke & Cheesemaking: Nick’s Quest to Honor Baba Saveta’s Legacy" while you make his amazing Palačinke.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert
• Cuisine: Croatian, Mediterranean

Nutrition

• Calories: 2.25
• Sugar: 31
• Sodium: 2.608
• Fat: 105
• Saturated Fat: 22
• Carbohydrates: 268
• Fiber: 8
• Protein: 55
• Cholesterol: 371