Matafan (Matefaim) — Cook

Ingredients

250 g plain flour
4 eggs
300 ml whole milk
50 g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the pan
1 pinch fine salt
For matafan au fromage (optional variant)
100 g Beaufort or Tomme de Savoie, coarsely grated
For matafan aux pommes (optional variant)
1 large Reine des Reinettes apple, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp caster sugar, for dusting
For matafan au lard (optional variant)
100 g lardons, folded into the batter

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.
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.