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French · Savoie

Matafan (Matefaim)

Matafan (also matefaim, from 'mate-faim' — hunger-killer) is the thick, rustic pancake of the Savoie and Dauphiné — a dense, filling, savory or sweet crêpe-like preparation that served as the mountain farmer's quick meal and that persists today as a beloved alpine comfort food and market-day snack. Unlike the thin Breton crêpe, the matafan is thick (1-2cm), made from a batter that is heavier on flour and eggs: 250g flour, 4 eggs, 300ml milk, 50g melted butter, salt — beaten together into a thick batter (much thicker than crêpe batter, closer to American pancake consistency) and cooked in a well-buttered cast-iron skillet over medium heat, 4-5 minutes per side, until golden-brown and set through. The matafan is cooked as one large pancake (the size of the pan, 25-28cm), not individual small pancakes, and is either flipped whole or finished under the grill. Savory versions: matafan au lard (lardons folded into the batter), matafan au fromage (grated Beaufort or Tomme folded in), matafan aux pommes de terre (grated raw potato added for extra density). Sweet versions: matafan aux pommes (apple slices layered in, like a thick apple pancake, dusted with sugar), matafan aux myrtilles (wild blueberries from the alpine meadows). The matafan is cut into wedges at the table and served directly from the skillet. It is the food of the mountain morning — eaten at 6am before a day of farm work, or bought at the village market wrapped in paper and eaten from the hand. The etymology says everything about its purpose: this is food designed to defeat hunger, to fuel physical labor, and to be prepared with whatever ingredients are at hand in a mountain kitchen with limited resources.

‹Swipe for the next dish›
ServesFour portions (one large 25–28 cm pancake, cut into wedges)
Total20 minutes
Sourced1of 9 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

250 g
plain flour
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
4
eggs
Your own market
300 ml
whole milk
Your own market
50 g
unsalted butter
melted, plus extra for the pan
Your own market
1 pinch
fine salt
Your own market
For matafan au fromage (optional variant)
100 g
Beaufort or Tomme de Savoie
coarsely grated
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For matafan aux pommes (optional variant)
1 large
Reine des Reinettes apple
peeled and thinly sliced
Origin · New ZealandPurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
1 tbsp
caster sugar
for dusting
Your own market
For matafan au lard (optional variant)
100 g
lardons
folded into the batter
Not yet stocked in British Columbia

Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.

II

The Method

1
Combine the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter in a bowl. Beat to a thick, smooth batter — not runny, not stiff: it should fall from the spoon in a heavy ribbon, closer in body to an American pancake batter than to a crêpe batter. For the cheese variant, fold in 100 g coarsely grated Beaufort or Tomme at this stage; for the lard variant, fold in lardons. The batter is ready when it holds its own weight without spreading immediately on a tilted spoon.
From the canon — Beaufort (AOC 1968) is the greatest of the French alpine hard cheeses — a massive wheel (40-70kg, 35-75cm diameter) of raw cow's milk cheese that has been pr… Beaufort — Le Prince des Gruyères →
2
Set a 25–28 cm cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a generous knob of butter and let it foam and coat the base entirely. This is where the dish lives or dies: the pan must be well-buttered and at a steady medium heat — too hot and the exterior burns while the centre remains raw; too cool and the pancake will not set a crisp golden crust. When the butter ceases to foam and carries the faintest colour at its edges, the pan is ready.
3
Pour the entire batter into the skillet in one motion; it should settle to a depth of 1–2 cm and reach to the pan's edges. For the apple variant, pour half the batter first, layer the sliced apple across the surface, then pour the remaining batter over to cover. Cook over medium heat, undisturbed, for 4–5 minutes. The matafan is ready to turn when the edges are set and opaque, the surface shows dry patches across at least two-thirds of its face, and the underside, checked with a palette knife, is deep golden-brown.
4
Flip the matafan whole in a single decisive movement, or slide it onto a large plate and invert it back into the pan. Cook the second side for 4 minutes (5 minutes for the apple variant). Press the centre lightly: it should feel set and springy, not liquid or yielding. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out without raw batter clinging to it.
5
Slide the matafan onto a board or bring the skillet directly to the table. For the sweet apple variant, dust immediately with caster sugar. Cut into wedges and serve from the pan. The crust should audibly release from the cast iron as the first wedge is lifted.
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Beaufort d'alpage (aged, summer-milk) grated into the batter; farmhouse lardons from a Savoyard charcutier; Reine des Reinettes apples from a mountain market; raw milk from a local herd, still warm.
02
Estate — Beaufort AOP or Tomme de Savoie from an affineur; good smoked lardons; a flavourful heritage apple variety; full-fat unhomogenised milk.
03
Market — Any Tomme or mountain-style cheese; standard supermarket lardons; a firm, tart dessert apple such as Granny Smith or Cox; full-fat milk.
04
House — Cheddar or Gruyère as a substitute cheese; streaky bacon, cut into pieces; any available apple; semi-skimmed milk — the matafan will still satisfy its purpose.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Sight. The surface of the matafan shows dry, set patches across at least two-thirds of its face before the flip is attempted.
◇Sight. The underside, checked with a palette knife, is deep, even golden-brown — not pale, not dark brown.
◇Touch. The centre of the cooked pancake feels set and springy under light pressure; no liquid gives way beneath the surface.
◇Smell. The butter in the pan carries a faint noisette character — browned but not acrid — signalling the correct heat before the batter is added.
◇Where it lives or dies. The pan must hold a steady medium heat and be generously buttered before the batter goes in — too hot and the crust burns while the centre stays raw; too cool and no crust forms at all.
Pillar V
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The dishes this one teaches you, across the cuisines — on every recipe.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Bushmills Malt 10 Year Old
Old Bushmills Distillery · County Antrim — Bushmills Distillery
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Whisky
From British Columbia
Fort Berens Riesling
Fort Berens Estate Winery · Lillooet
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic

Why each one works is part of membership — Enter · from $49 a year →

The whole pairing
Pillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance

The hands behind the plate.

Purely Artisan Foods
San Diego · Reine des Reinettes apple
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