Seafood Pancakes (Tortillitas)
June 29, 2009 | Filed Under Seafood
My first Seafood Pancake with shrimp, It’s a bit thick but still tasted really good.
I almost didn’t get a photo of my seafood pancakes. That’s because everyone kept gobbling these special pancakes, as fast as I made them. They wouldn’t give me a chance to take a photo.
Thankfully, I was able to save one, in the end and take my photo. Whew!
My friend Nancy in Madrid saw this tortillita recipe by Mark Bittman in the Times and sent it to me. She thought I’d be interested in this recipe originally from Andalusia. She was right. I liked this no-egg pancake made from a mixture of chickpea flour, white flour, herbs, and seafood. Not only did I like the simple ingredients, I liked the fact that I could prepare this meal quickly.
This was my first time to use chickpea flour. I’d never heard about this type of flour before. See how I learn something new on my cooking adventures? I love it! Initially, I couldn’t find chickpea flour and then Dan of Salt Shaker gave me a tip. Thanks, Dan. The recipe calls for half chickpea flour and half white flour. However, according to Bittman, you can use chickpea alone, which will make the pancake gluten-free, crisper and more flavorful.
You can use any kind of seafood. I chose to stick with the recipe and used shrimps. You also have wide choice of herbs to use in this pancake. I love cilantro, so that’s what I used.
I ended up making this seafood pancake more than once during the week. The first time I made the tortillita, it was too thick, although it tasted very good and turned out the way Bittman described — "crisp on the outside but still moist inside." Delicious! However, I wanted to get it as perfect as possible. So, the second time I tried this recipe, I added a little more water to get a thinner pancake batter. I didn’t have shrimps on hand, so I used smoked salmon and included more herbs — chives, parsley and cilantro. Again, I enjoyed my seafood pancake.
Thanks, Nancy for sending me the recipe.
Besos desde New York,
Paz
Ed. Note: By the way, Dan has another seafood pancake recipe on his blog. It’s made completely with regular flour, mussels, shrimps, and cockles. He prepares his pancakes on the stove and finishes it off in the broiler. Check it out here!
The second time I made seafood pancakes, they came out much thinner, the way I believe they’re supposed to be.
Seafood Pancakes (Tortillitas)
Mark Bittman
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chopped onion or scallions
About 1/2 cup raw shrimp, chopped, or scallops or other shellfish or fish
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chives, parsley, thyme or cilantro
Olive oil.
1. In a bowl, combine flours and baking powder with salt and pepper. Add a little more than a cup of water and stir to combine; consistency should resemble pancake batter (if batter is too thick, add more water, a little at a time). Stir in the onions, chopped seafood and herbs.
2. Put a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and film its bottom generously with olive oil. When oil is hot, pour in half the batter until it fills center of pan; spread gently with a spoon to form a large pancake.
3. Cook about 3 minutes, or until pancake is set around edges; flip pancake and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, then flip it again and cook for another 30 seconds or so, until it is crisp on outside but still moist inside. Remove from pan and serve immediately, while remaining batter cooks.
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16 Responses to “Seafood Pancakes (Tortillitas)”
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I’ve heard of chickpea flour, but I’ve never used it and don’t think I’ve ever tried it.
Looks and sounds tasty - I’d like to try it with the smoked salmon, because I usually have that on hand.
That is a delicious looking speciality!
Cheers,
Rosa
Looks yummy. I think I’ve seen chickpea flour at Whole Foods in the gluten-free section. Where did you end up finding yours?
Heard of chickpea flour, but never used it. Seems like you can make some pretty fun stuff with it though. Love seafood in anything, so this looks great.
Sounds fabulous. I’m not a big fan of eggs, which I thought this looked like, so I was happy to discover that its flour and seafood! I love most things made with chickpeas, so this will be fun to try. I think the smoked salmon sounds the best….
Sounds really delicious! I love that it can be totally gluten-free.
Just the other day, I looked at a package of chickpea flour and decided against buying it. I wish I had seen your post before making the hasty decision. Your pancakes look great!
That looks delicious, especially the shrimp version. Must add some chickpea flour to my next grocery list.
Try the recipe here: http://www.saltshaker.net/20090610/hyeonchung-il
Took a bit of experimenting to get it there (though it’s not gluten free, it’s all regular flour), but they come out beautifully.
Looks like you’re having some fun in the kitchen!
YUM…LOVE these…Thank you, Paz! :o) ((HUGS))
Your pancakes look great, both of them!
Happy Independence Day Paz!
LL
I am loving this. My friend just gave me a Biuttman book with recipes from around the world.
They looks so good, it reminds me a sort of tempura that i ate in Sao Paulo’s Japanese neighborhood . That I love it
Hi everyone: thanks for stopping by.
I actually preferred the shrimp version over the smoked salmon. Next time, I’d like to try the scallops.
Dan, I’m also interested in trying your version.
Best to all,
Paz
That looks amazing. I think I can source some gram flour here, as I’ve all the other ingredients (save the fresh herbs…but those are easy).
j
This will make the third recipe I want to try with chickpea flour - I think that should justify buying it
Think I’ll go with the salmon!
They both look like wonderful eating Paz.