Seasonal Recipe: Pancake Pairings
Pancakes Galore
It’s that time of year again – Shrove Tuesday is on 21st February this year, a perfect opportunity to demonstrate your tossing skills and serve crêpe style pancakes with delicious fillings. The key is to make a good batter – after that you can be creative with all sorts of savoury or sweet fillings. We have included a few ideas to get you going.
Ingredients for the Pancake Batter
Makes 10 – 12 8” Pancakes
100g Plain Flour
A good pinch of Salt
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp Sunflower Oil, plus extra for cooking
250ml Milk
Method
Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl then make a well in the middle.
Put the eggs, oil and about 100ml of the milk into the flour well.
Use a wooden spoon to blend the flour into the liquid to form a smooth paste.
Leave the mixture for 30 minutes to allow the flour to absorb and swell.
Add the remainder of the milk into the flour paste and whisk into a smooth batter.
Place a nonstick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Grease it with a wad of kitchen paper soaked in oil.
(This can used again and again and it avoids excess oil in the pan).
When the pan is piping hot, ladle a small quantity of the batter in and tilt the pan round to get an even spread.
Cook the pancake for 30 to 60 seconds – it will begin to brown at the edges – then shake the pan to loosen the pancake.
Now toss the pancake over with a single vertical, circular motion flip.
(It is permissible to use a pallet knife at this stage, but that spoils the fun).
Allow to cook on the other side for a further 30-60 seconds, then turn out onto a plate ready to fill.
You can either make a stack of pancakes, fill them, then reheat in the oven,
or serve them as they are made for diners to do their own filling and eat as you go along – a perfect kitchen supper.
Pancake filling ideas:
Smoked Salmon, Fennel and Crème Fraiche
We use smoked salmon bits, combined with blanched fennel pieces,
chopped dill, black pepper and bound with crème Fraiche
Butternut, Aubergine and Hazelnut
Fry off a diced red onion and a crushed clove of garlic.
Add small pieces ofbutternut and aubergine. When soft, finish with dried thyme, salt, pepper and chopped hazelnuts.
Tomato, Avocado and Feta
Dice fresh tomato and avocado, season with red chili and salt, them bind with basil pesto.
Grated Apple, Sultanas, & Cinnamon
Grate a tasty apple; add a little lemon juice, sultanas, cinnamon and muscovado brown sugar to taste.
Blueberry, Honey and Praline
Mix a punnet of fresh blueberries with full cream yoghurt and honey. Cheat a little and buy a caramel nut bar, blitz it in a food processor
and sprinkle over the filled pancakes as a yummy crunchy topping.
Pancake Wine Pairing: Nutty Wild
(on special offer this month, online and from the cellar door)
A lovely combination. Home made crepe pancakes served round the kitchen table with the refreshing pale pink bubbles of Nutty Wild – our delicious tangy and fruity, 10% alcohol, Classic Method sparkling wine.
Order a bottle to pair with your pancakes →
Recipe by Peter Gladwin ©
