The following recipe, taken from Island Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes from Vancouver Island and the Salish Sea by Dawn Postnikoff and  Joanne Sasvari is courtesy of Tidal Café.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Berry Compote and Vanilla Cream

Serves 4

Berry compote [ingredients]

1 cup frozen blueberries or berries of your choice

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp chopped basil, mint, rosemary or thyme (optional)

Berry compote [method]

Combine berries and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, then stir in herb of choice (if using). (Compote can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days.)

Vanilla cream [ingredients]

1 1/4 cups milk

2 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

Vanilla cream [method]

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk well over medium heat, until cream starts to boil and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool slightly. (It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.)

Buttermilk pancakes [ingredients]

2 cups unbleached flour

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk

1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 egg whites, room temperature

1 to 2 tsp canola oil

Maple syrup, to serve

Buttermilk pancakes [method]

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, butter, vanilla and whole eggs.

In a third bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Heat oil on a griddle or in a frying pan over medium-high heat. (To test the heat, flick water across the surface—if it beads up and sizzles, it’s ready!) Having the pan hot and ready to go before you finish mixing the batter will help preserve the leavening effects that make the pancakes so fluffy.

Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and use a wooden spoon or fork to blend until just mixed. Fold in egg whites. Do not overmix or the egg whites will flatten!

Pour 1/2 cup batter into the pan and cook for 1 minute, until golden and bubbles begin to form on the surface. Turn over and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining pancakes.

Serve hot, topped with berry compote and drizzled with vanilla cream and maple syrup.

Excerpted from Island Eats: Signature Chefs’ Recipes from Vancouver Island and the Salish Sea by Dawn Postnikoff and Joanne Sasvari. Photographs by Gabriel Cabrera and Danika McDowell. Recipes copyright © 2021 by Tidal Café’s Kurt and Blythe Reimer. Excerpted with permission from Figure 1 Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.