Pancake Day falls on Shrove Tuesday, a traditional feast day which precedes the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. It takes place 47 days before Easter Sunday so the date varies from year to year. Lent was traditionally a period of abstinence, when rich foods gave way to simpler foods, and Shrove Tuesday was therefore the last opportunity to use up foods such as eggs, milk and sugar before the fasting season began. Making pancakes seemed a good answer to this.
In England, the custom of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday dates back to the 16th century and the day is often celebrated in rural settings by village locals taking part in pancake races.
The traditional pancake or crêpe
These are very thin and take no time at all to cook. I found this recipe in my grandmother’s book. This makes about 15-20 pancakes.
250g plain flour
600ml milk
2 eggs, beaten
pinch of salt
Sieve the flour into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the beaten egg and half of the milk. Gradually stir to draw in the flour from the sides until you have a smooth batter. Stir in the rest of the milk and pour into a jug. I find it easier to use a jug to pour the batter mixture into the pan rather than use a spoon.
The recipe here tells you to leave it for an hour. I find 30 minutes is long enough!
Use a butter paper or kitchen paper to lightly grease the bottom of a frying pan and put it on a medium heat - a drop of oil will stop the butter burning.
Pour in a small amount of the mixture and immediately swirl it around the pan so that the bottom is evenly covered with the batter.
Leave to cook for about 30-40 seconds and then flip over with a palette knife.
Give it another 30-40 seconds, fold it in the pan and slide it onto a plate, ready for your first customer!
If you prefer a thicker and fluffier pancake - something Canadians love to eat for breakfast with bacon and maple syrup - then this is the recipe for you. I use a small frying pan, about 12cm diameter, to get the perfect size.
Canadian pancakes
225g plain flour
300ml milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp baking powder
pinch of salt
25g melted butter
Makes about 10 small pancakes
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, add a pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the beaten egg, milk and melted butter. Whisk together and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
Heat the frying pan on a medium heat and lightly grease with butter. Once the pan is hot, add a spoonful of batter to cover the bottom of the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Once it starts to bubble, flip it over with a palette knife and cook for a further minute.
If you want to add fruit, blueberries are perfect dotted around just before you flip the pancake over.
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