If you want to make the perfect pancake this Shrove Tuesday then look no further. We've been scouring the cook books for what we think delivers the lightest, crispiest pancake of them all. Our pick of the pancakes is from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's latest book "River Cottage Every Day".
Sift 250g plain white or fine wholemeal flour with a pinch of salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in two beaten eggs, add about 50ml of 600ml of whole milk and start to whisk, gradually incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients in the centre. When you have a thick batter forming in the middle add a bit more milk and whisk in a bit more flour. Keep going in this way until all the milk has been added, all the flour is incorporated and you have a smooth batter about the consistency of single cream. One of the mistakes people make with pancakes is to leave the batter too thick. So if your batter is still more like double than single cream, whisk in a little more milk. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes, and then check the consistency again. If it's thickened up a bit, add a dash more milk to bring it back to the right consistency.
To cook the pancakes, heat a non-stick frying pan, around 20cm in diameter, over a medium heat. When it's hot, swirl 1 tablespoon of oil around the pan, then pour out the excess. Add a small ladleful of batter (about 50ml) - just enough to coat the base of the pan - and swirl it around quickly until it covers the base. Cook for a minute or so, until lightly coloured underneath, then flip over and cook for a minute more. Depending on the pan you may need to loosen the edges of the pancake with a palette knife before you flip. Almost without exception, the first pancake will be disappointing but don't worry the next one will be much better. Serve immediately, so they can be eaten hot.
To complete your perfect pancake just add one of our suggestions for the tastiest of toppings:
- Sprinkle over Munchy Seeds Vanilla Mix and top with a dollop of low fat plain yogurt
- Drizzle on Biona's Agave Nectar and a sprinkle of Lizi's Original Granola
- Soak Urban Fresh Fruit Mango in a little water for about an hour or preferably over-night, warm through before serving and then use to fill the pancakes, serve with a spoonful of low fat crème fraiche and finish with a drizzle of Biona's Agave Nectar
- Add slices of banana topped with Plamil Organic Chocolate shavings (make the shavings by using a larger grater or vegetable peeler)
- Sprinkle on some Lizi's Belgian Chocolate Granola Crunch and a dollop of good quality ice cream
- Add a spoonful of Meridian's Blackcurrant Spread with some low fat plain yogurt
- Add a sweet tahini sauce made by blending together 4 tbsp Meridian Organic Light Tahini, 6-7 tbsp water with 3 tbsp Higher Nature Zylosweet, finish with warm fruit compote.
|
