Pancakes
A breif history
Pancakes are eaten on Shrove Tuesday, traditionally because it is the day before the first day of Lent. Years ago, there were many foods that practising Christians refused to eat during lent. Meat, Fish, Eggs and Milky foods. Of course, in times when money for food was tight, the Lady of the house would not have wanted to waste all that food and Pancakes were a dish which could use up all the Eggs, Fat and milk in the house with only the addition of Flour.
Ingredients:
- 4 oz Plain Flour
- 2 Eggs
- 10 fl/oz Milk
- Butter or oil for the pan
Method:
- Sieve the flour high over a bowl to get plenty air into it and to make sure there are no lumpy bits
- Whisk the Egg and Milk together in a Jug, or bowl, then slowly add the flour - Keep whisking
- If you can wait, cover the batter with cling film and leave it in the firdge for a few hours (if not, Don't)
- Take a frying pan and heat a spalsh of oil in it, Once it's nice and runny and covers the whole of the bottom of the pan, pour the excess into a pyrex container
- Return the pan to the heat and add about a cupfull of batter to the pan. Sometimes, getting the right amount for the pan takes a few tries.
- Heat for about 30 seconds, then give the pan a good shake to loosen the cake. If this doesn't work, a spatula will do it.
- Turn the Pancake over with a spatula (to keep the uncooked batter from going everywhere
- Heat for another few seconds, then check the botton by flipping the pancake. Once it's speckled fairly dark brown (but not black) It's ready to eat. Flip onto a plate and keep making until you've used all the batter up.
Serve:
With anything you like - Sugar, Lemon juice and Jam are old favourites, separately or all at once. Try Drizzling warm, melted chocolate over them, or for something more fruity, try berries such as Strawberries, Raspberries or Blueberries with double cream, or Peaches and whipped cream. Honey, or Cinnamon are great alternatives, to sugar if for any reason you can't have any.
The pancakes themselves are easy to adapt, too - they can be made with Rice flour for Gluten and Wheat free, Soya milk or goats milk for Dairy free and replace the Eggs with a large Bannana if Eggs are a problem for you!
