Monday 20 February 2012

Pancake Day 2012

Pancake Day 2012 by Charlotte

The humble pancake officially pops up once a year - probably once a month at my house - unofficially. Personally I don't think you can beat a good pancake for breakfast. My favourite filling would have to be blueberries or raspberries mixed in with the batter so that they enjoy maximum time in the hot pan, exploding their juices everywhere; a gruesome but very tasty death for the fruits. A dash of maple syrup goes pretty well on top, finishing this dish off nicely.

This year we have chosen savoury pancakes (followed by sweet ones) which have a distinct whiff of Italy about them. Filled with ham hock (a cheap but superbly flavoured cut); buffalo mozzarella which works a treat if you keep several pancakes warm in the oven as the cheese simply melts, spreading its brilliance throughout the pancake; cherry tomatoes and a twist of black pepper. Simple but very very effective.

For a basic pancake I use:
120g sieved plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
300ml milk
Butter

Mix the flour and salt, whisk in the eggs and then gradually add the milk. You should have a thick batter that is a similar thickness to single cream. Make sure all the flour is mixed in and there are no lumps.

Heat a small knob of butter in a frying pan and turn the heat up high. Turn the heat to medium before adding a ladle sized amount of batter to the pan. Ensure the batter is evenly spread. The pancake should take around 30 seconds to cook and you can then flip it to cook the second side.

If you're making savoury pancakes then I suggest adding the filling, folding the pancakes up and keeping them warm in the oven so that all the flavours come together.

I have just about grown out of trying to see how many pancakes I can eat in one sitting, however, I always make sure I squeeze in at least one classic lemon and sugar pancake.

Happy flippin'!

1 comments:

not strictly pancake related but thanks for an excellent evening.

you should hold us to that offer of a reciprocal catering night, although perhaps you might want to eat first.

and on reflection I don't think it's fair to divulge dave's speech secrets (for all his few foibles he's a fine fellow). but here's a link to flat2d.co.uk. you might recognise a few foibles of a fine fellow you know.

and I'm very sorry if I smashed an eighteenth birthday glass. please let me know if there's anything I can do.

ed

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