Spicy Pancake Tower

Ingredients

• 2 Eggs
• 200 g Flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 350 ml milk
• 2 tbsp parmesan
• Salt
• olive oil (for frying)
• 1 onion
• 500 g ground beef
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp flour
• 150 ml meat broth
• 50 g pitted black olives
• Salt
• pepper from grinder
• 5 red bell peppers
• olive oil
• 100 g Spinach
• Salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 400 ml milk
• a handful fresh chopped herbs (e.g., basil and thyme)
• 250 g ricotta
• Salt
• pepper from grinder
• olive oil for the pan
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan (for sprinkling)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Whisk eggs, flour, baking powder, and milk into a smooth batter; add parmesan and a pinch of salt. Let rest for about 20 minutes. Fry 8-10 pancakes in slightly hot oil each.

2. 2.

   Peel and dice the onion. Brown ground beef in hot oil until crumbly. Add onions, cook briefly, then dust with flour. Pour in broth and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat, stir in olives, salt, and pepper.

3. 3.

   Preheat oven to 240°C (high). Wash, halve, and clean bell peppers; place skin side up on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at the top rack for ~10 minutes until skins blister and darken. Cool under a damp cloth, peel skins, reserve some pieces for garnish, dice the rest. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C (fan).

4. 4.

   Wash spinach, blanch briefly in salted water, shock in ice, squeeze out excess, then finely chop. In a pot, melt butter with flour until pale; deglaze with milk and simmer while stirring until thickened. Remove from heat, fold in spinach, ricotta, herbs, salt, and pepper.

5. 5.

   Oil a springform pan (≈12 cm height). Layer alternating ingredients, finishing with a layer of ricotta. Sprinkle grated parmesan on top. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden brown.

6. 6.

   Remove from oven, let cool, then release the cake from the pan.

7. 7.

   Serve garnished with remaining bell pepper pieces.