GREEN HERB PANCAKES WITH RICOTTA AND RED CHILE OIL

Green Herb Pancakes with Ricotta and Red Chile Oil image

In these savory spring pancakes, a mix of fresh herbs lends a beautiful green color and fresh flavor. Lemony ricotta and a spicy chile-infused oil complete the dish, a perfect light lunch.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 55m

Yield 4 servings (12 pancakes)

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 medium red Fresno chile, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 1/3 cups whole-milk ricotta
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Steps:

Heat the olive oil and chile in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until the chiles start to sizzle and smell fragrant, about 1 minute (do not let them brown). Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with two kitchen towels stacked on top of each other and place in the oven. This will keep your cooked pancakes warm.
Whisk the flour, cornstarch, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the milk, melted butter and eggs together in another bowl. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until ingredients are just incorporated and batter is thick (it's okay if there are some lumps). Gently stir in 1/2 teaspoon pepper and all but 2 tablespoons of the herbs. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the ricotta, lemon zest, lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Ladle a heaping 1/4 cup of the batter into the skillet, spreading it into a 4 1/2-inch round; repeat to make a second pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden on the bottom and bubbly on top, about 1 minute. Flip the pancakes and cook until the second side is golden and batter is cooked through, about 45 seconds more. Transfer the pancakes to the baking sheet in the oven, tucking them between the kitchen towels. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more pancakes.
Place 3 pancakes on each plate and top with a large dollop of ricotta. Sprinkle with the reserved herbs and drizzle with the chile oil just before serving.