Pancakes

Having a basic pancake recipe in your 'batterie de cuisine' is a bit like having an all-purpose, all-terrain vehicle parked in the shed. It's a get-you-out-of-trouble device.

The point about pancakes is that they are quick and easy to make, very versatile and most people enjoy them. They can be made into desserts, stuffed with a savoury mix, sliced into rounds, frozen for later use and even used in place of pasta to make cannelloni, for example.

Have I sold you on pancakes yet?

Let's see just how easy they are.

Ingredients

100g (4oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
300ml (1.25 cups) milk
2 whole eggs
pinch of salt

Method
Put these ingredients in a blender in the order given and switch on for about a minute. Transfer the mixture to a jug and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes before using.

To cook, heat a pan the same size as the pancake you want and drop into it a generous knob of butter. Melt this while swirling it around and pour the excess into the pancake mix while stirring. This will help to stop your pancake sticking.

Note that the single biggest reason for failure when cooking pancakes is a pan that is not hot enough. Butter should melt and sizzle on impact.

Now, with a great deal of confidence, pour enough of your pancake mix to cover the base of the pan, swirl it round and immediately pour the excess back into the jug, just as you did with the butter.

Do not disturb the pancake after this until the top looks waxy and little beads of 'sweat' appear. It is now cooked and can be used just like this, with the filling going on the 'waxy' side.

However most cooks prefer to brown both sides of the pancake and to do that you need to flip it over. If you want to risk tossing it, be my guest. I don't have to clear up the mess. But an easier way is to slide a palette knife under the middle of the pancake and then lift and turn it in one fluid motion.

Pancakes cooked in this way can be stacked one on top of the other and kept warm until needed. They can also be frozen and later thawed out in a warm oven.

Fillings can be anything from fresh fruit to honey and lemon juice to savory mince or seafood. You are limited only by what you can think up. As a guide, bear this in mind; if it goes inside pastry, it goes inside a pancake.

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First published on Qassia