Pancakes are deep in the British DNA, up there with Easter eggs and Christmas pudding. Come Shrove Tuesday, we laugh in the face of clean eating, glorying in sugar, wheat, gluten and dairy.
Of course it’s not just us. Every nation has its personal batter bliss, whether it is paper-thin French crêpes, showy American towers of blueberry pancakes, or crisp, savoury Vietnamese banh xeo.
But unlike other countries, we barely touch them for the rest of the year, preferring a proper blowout on Shrove Tuesday. Appropriate, given that day was always intended to be a last blast before the start of Lent.
There’s no crime in buying ready-made pancakes. But given that pancakes are among the easiest, and most fun, foods to make, it seems a waste not to get cooking. Who can resist a bit of competitive pancake flipping?
The good news for is that the batter positively benefits from being made ahead. I’ve tested pancakes made both with freshly made batter and with some that is properly rested (at least an hour, and as much as overnight in the fridge) and there is no doubt rested batter makes for lighter, more tender pancakes.
Don’t be afraid to tweak the batter – it’s a great foil for added flavour. A pinch of ground cardamom will redouble its fragrance in the pan, delectable with chocolate and marshmallow pancakes. Grated citrus zest is always good too – some lime in a pancake wrapped around Caribbean jerk-grilled chicken with a mango salsa, say.
More substantial add-ins boost the texture as well as the flavour. Try adding a handful of desiccated coconut to the batter for the mango and passion fruit pancakes. Indulge yourself: it’s what Shrove Tuesday is all about.
The Perfect Pancake Batter
Makes
5 pancakes
Ingredients
- 100g plain flour
- 1 egg, plus an extra egg yolk for a super-silky texture
- 200ml milk
- 50g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the pan
Method
- Put all ingredients and a pinch of salt in a blender. Whizz to a smooth batter. Leave to rest for at least an hour.
- To cook, heat a shallow frying pan or crêpe pan until really hot. Brush with melted butter. Pour a small ladleful (about 60ml) of batter into the pan, tipping until it coats the pan. Cook until the edges start to brown and pull away from the sides of the pan. Flip over and cook on the other side for a minute.
- If you are catering for a crowd, it may make sense to get ahead, for the main course at least. You can make the pancakes earlier in the day and stack them up. Layering sheets of greaseproof paper between each is the approved method, but if you make sure they are well cooked through, crisping a little at the edges, you should be all right without. Keep them on the side covered with a tea towel, not in the fridge.
- Reheat each individually in a pan for a few seconds, or fill the pancakes and reheat in the oven.
10 Flipping Good Topping Ideas For Pancake Day 2022
Parmesan And Spinach
Sprinkle grated Parmesan in the pan before pouring over the pancake batter. Cook as usual (use a fish slice to help turn the pancakes if they stick) and fill with spinach wilted in butter and seasoned with salt and plenty of black pepper.
Pancake Lasagne
Put a pancake on a buttered baking tray and spread with about six tablespoons Bolognese sauce and four tablespoons white sauce. Top with another pancake, Bolognese sauce and white sauce. Repeat and finish with a fourth pancake topped with white sauce and a generous grating of Parmesan cheese. Chill until ready to eat. Bake for 30 minutes at 180C/Gas 4 until hot through and browned on top. Cut into wedges to serve. Enough for four people.
Kale And Chilli
At London’s Luca restaurant they wrap a soft socca (chickpea pancake) around braised kale laced with chilli. It’s good with ordinary pancakes too: blanch 200g kale (tough stems removed) and chop finely with a small clove of garlic and a good pinch of salt. Mix with enough olive oil to make a pesto consistency, spread on the hot pancakes and roll up. Makes enough for two to three pancakes.
Leek, Haddock And Chive
Fry a sliced leek in 50g butter with half a teaspoon each of turmeric and fennel seeds, until just done. Stir in 300g cooked smoked haddock, plus four tablespoons of crème fraîche and chopped chives. Heat through and season with pepper. Fill four pancakes and serve with steamed purple -sprouting broccoli.
Crêpes Brulée
Mix 500ml of ready-made custard with a tablespoon of cornflour and heat, whisking, until thickened. Fill six pancakes with four tablespoons of the custard and a couple of apricot halves. Fold the sides in then the top and bottom to make a parcel, and turn over on to a baking sheet. Dredge with caster sugar and grill until caramelised.
Chocolate And Marshmallow
While still in the hot pan, put four squares of chocolate on the pancake. Top with chopped hazelnuts and a handful of mini marshmallows. Fold into a parcel and serve straight away.
Rhubarb And Blood Orange
Cut 400g rhubarb into short lengths and arrange in a snug single layer in a baking tin. Add a vanilla pod, dredge with 200g caster sugar, cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes at 180C/Gas 4. Leave to cool, still covered. With a sharp knife, cut the peel and outer membrane from four blood oranges, then slice thinly. Add the grated zest of an orange to the pancake batter before making the pancakes. Serve the pancakes with the blood orange and rhubarb compote. Enough for six.
Seville Orange And Sugar
Simple but good: instead of lemons, use halved Seville oranges to squeeze over hot pancakes. Don’t forget a bowl of sugar on the table.
Passion Fruit And Chopped Mango
Fill pancakes with passion fruit and chopped mango, a good dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. Add a lime half to squeeze over.
Caramelised Pecan And Maple Syrup
Toast 50g pecans in a hot pan, then add three tablespoons of maple syrup, stirring until they caramelise. Serve pancakes with vanilla ice cream, caramelised pecans and more syrup. Want fruit? Add some stewed apples.