Mix together 12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) butter and sage; reserve.
Remove as much outer skin from garlic as possible without piercing
the cloves' covering. Set garlic in saucepan, cover with water and
boil gently about 45 minutes or until cloves are quite soft. Remove
from heat. When cool enough to handle squeeze each clove to remove
cooked garlic by grasping clove at tip and pulling down toward base.
In mixing bowl, beat garlic with fork until smooth. Add to garlic
same amount (at least one cup) flour, eggs, oil and 1-1/2 cups milk
to make pancake batter. Add minced garlic to batter and set aside.
Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter and keep warm. While waiting for
batter to work, place half the sage butter (6 tb) in saucepan, add 6
tb flour to make a roux and cook at medium temperature, stirring
frequently, to brown. Meanwhile in skillet, place remaining 2 tb of
remaining sage butter and add ham. Heat thru, but do not burn. When
roux is nicely browned, add remaining 2 cups milk. Allow to thicken,
stirring frequently. Add ham and skillet drippings and mix to make
ham sauce. Keep warm. Heat griddle or clean skillet and grease
lightly with a bit of remaining sage butter. Drop batter by spoonfuls
onto griddle to make silver dollar-sized pancakes. Serve with melted
butter and ham sauce. Makes 2 dozen pancakes. NOTE: Cooking the garlic
until it is soft changes its flavor from pungent to sweet and
nut-like -- a very good addition to pancakes and a pleasant
compliment to the smokiness of the ham sauce. Serve for breakfast,
brunch, lunch or even a light supper.
