Pancakes aren’t just for Shrove Tuesday: they’re also a great breakfast or pudding, so why not make them more than a once a year treat?
You’ll need:
- 125g plain flour
- 300ml milk (skimmed if you want the thinner, crepe style)
- 1 egg
- sunflower oil for the pan
- frying pan
- mixing bowl
- whisk (electric or hand)
- spatula
- lemon juice / sugar / chocolate spread / any other toppings of your choice
Measure out your ingredients into a big bowl and whisk until you have a mixture of single cream consistency. If you have time, leave it to stand in the fridge for a while because the gluten in the flour starts to stretch and you get better pancakes.
Then put a little sunflower oil into your pan. I like to use a non-stick shallow lipped pan because the pancakes flip easier and you can get to them with the spatula. Heat the sunflower oil til it’s just before smoking point. If you hold you hand over the pan (about 10cm above), it should feel proper hot - then you’re ready for your first one.
Using a ladle, spoon the mixture into the pan and kind of roll the pan round, so you cover the whole area with the mix. Now don’t do anything - it’s tempting to muck about with the edges but just leave it for a minute or so. When the edges start to lift away from the pan, you can start to get a spatula underneath the pancake. Don’t force it, just feel your way.
Once the pancake is loosened (and if you’re feeling brave) you can flip it. You might want to get pets/small children/laptops out of the way at this point. With a strong wrist action, take a deep breath and flip the pancake. If it survived, well done. Then let the other side cook through. The second side tends to get darker spots on it for some reason.
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When it feels/looks/smells done, serve it on warmed side plates with your favourite toppings.
Your first one will be a bit of a mess (see mine on the right->) so you have to eat it with your fingers standing up in the kitchen, it’s the law.
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Happy flipping!
From Kate Hughes
