WIN! A copy of Crêpes and Galettes from the Breizh Café

Enter our competition to win a copy of Crêpes and Galettes from the Breizh Café

“My parents weren’t exactly thrilled when I first opened a crêperie in Brittany. During my childhood, they had gone into debt to buy the family farm back, hoping I would take it over one day. The crêperie was a huge hit, however, like most of my other restaurants. The fact is, I may not have chosen the life of a farmer, but I hail from farm country and my regional roots run deep. I do what my parents, and my ancestors before them, did, but I do it differently.”

Anyone who’s pottered along Paris’ Rue Vieille du Temple in the buzzing Marais may not have noticed the unassuming blue awnings of the Breizh Café – but next time you’re there, it’s a must-visit. Flick through this book first, and you’ll have to stop yourself from booking the earliest Eurostar to get across to the city for a table.

Bertrand Larcher was born in Fougères and founded the first of his chain of Breizh Cafés – ‘Breizh’ being the Breton word for Brittany – in the regional town of Cancale, across the headland east of St-Malo. Its Parisian counterpart swiftly followed and then, in 1996, his culinary influence spread to Tokyo.

France and Japan may seem unlikely bedfellows, but Larcher has a Japanese spouse and spent years working in the capital. He successfully harnessed one specific mutual ingredient – buckwheat – to grow an insatiable following in the country, opening six individual cafés and, most recently, a cider bar. This geographical and culinary fusion has resulted in some interesting and highly innovative recipes, 60 of which are contained in this book and create a bridge between Breton and Japanese cultures.

Larcher sources his ingredients from the best organic farmers in his own corner of Brittany and combines simple, high-quality products with unique flavours. Oyster galette with smoked bacon and peas, foie gras galette with dried figs and crêpe tatin flambéed with calvados are among the delectable offerings. Crêpe Suzette is given a Japanese twist with the addition of yuzu, some recipes use matcha and tofu, and there are fabulous party ideas – whoever thought of filling, rolling and slicing galettes to make canapés? Each recipe even has its own cider pairing. A wonderful addition to any kitchen shelf.

We have three copies of Crêpes and Galettes to give away. Click here to enter the competition.

Closing date: 22 September

Crêpes and Galettes from the Breizh Café, Bertrand Larcher, £20, Jacqui Small, ISBN 978-1-910254271