Finnish Carrot Pancake With Cranberry Sauce

Here is a recipe for a very tasty and colourful meal. Serve this for 'Brunch', or for a main meal serve with potatoes and coleslaw, or cucumbers in sour cream (try "Jolean's Cukes in Sour Cream Jolean's Cukes in Sour Cream" by Stacky5LRC - it's very good). You can make the sauce in advance, or use store bought Cranberry sauce if you’re pushed for time. The Finnish name for the carrot pancake is Porkkanapannukakku, for the Cranberry Sauce it’s Karpalokastike. This Recipe was originally posted for Zaar World Tour 2005; and it's being dusted off again for Zaar World Tour 2006. I still haven't got round to making the sauce, but at least I can tell you the pancake works a treat!

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 1 pancake

Ingredients

• CARROT PANCAKE

• 1 1⁄2 cups  grated carrots
• 1⁄2 cup  grated onion
• 1⁄2 cup  dry breadcrumbs or 1⁄2 cup wheat germ
• 4  large eggs
• 1⁄4 cup milk
• 1⁄2 cup flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1  tablespoon  sunflower oil
•  salt and pepper

• CRANBERRY SAUCE

• 12  ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1⁄2 cup maple syrup
• 1  orange, juice and rind of, grated
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1  pinch cinnamon

Directions

1. TO MAKE THE PANCAKE: Preheat the oven to 450 F, 230 C, gas mark 8.
2. Wrap the carrot and onion in kitchen towel to remove excess moisture, then place them in a large bowl with the bread crumbs or wheat germ; mix them together thoroughly.
3. Make the pancake batter by beating the eggs, milk, flour and seasonings together until smooth; add the batter to the carrot mixture and stir until all the ingredients are evenly mixed together.
4. Heat the oil in a 10 inch cast iron skillet or heavy ovenproof baking dish; pour in the pancake mixture making sure the carrots are evenly distributed; place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes; lower the oven temperature to 350 F, 180 C /gas mark 4 and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the pancake is light brown, puffy and crisp.
5. Slice and serve immediately with Cranberry Sauce.
6. TO MAKE THE CRANBERRY SAUCE: Mix all sauce ingredients in a medium sized saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring, until the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thick.