Food columnist Kat Riach shares a recipe for perfecting your pancakes, from her off-grid bakery in the Fife countryside.
The preparation of the meal on Shrove Tuesday (February 16) is something everyone enjoys. For this one night of the year, the kitchen becomes the chef’s stage as buttery golden circles are merrily tossed into the air to a wave of delighted gasps.
The happy crowd entertained whether the pancake lands back in the pan, or on the floor – when else do you get to enjoy this?
Main meal
So often we opt for pancakes as a dessert, rather than the main meal – there is no need for this to be the case. Having been through numerous different recipes, we have finally found one we love and which we come back to again and again. To make around 10 crepe-style pancakes, mix two eggs, 350ml milk, 100g flour, 50g melted butter and a pinch of salt.
Savoury batters
For this recipe, we are going to make two different savoury batters, so half your batter into separate mixing bowls. To one, add 150g of slightly blended sweetcorn kernels cut from a cob, along with a pinch of chilli flakes (optional). For the other, blitz 75g of baby spinach in a blender with your pancake ingredients.
After leaving your batter to sit for 30 minutes, cook the pancakes until crisp, put to one side. To fill, mix together some finely chopped tomatoes, shallots, peppers, fresh parsley, creme fraiche and some strong grated cheddar, season with salt and pepper.
Filling meal
To finish the dish, you can either cook each pancake folded in half over its filling on the hob, or you can place a layer of pancakes in a large oven dish, pile on your tomato mixture, top with another layer of pancakes and top with grated cheese.
Put into a pre-heated oven at 200C/Fan 180C/400F/Gas Mark 6 for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve with some dressed winter salad leaves or watercress for a filling meal.