If you usually buy a ready-made mix, drop your pancake mid-flop or always manage to produce a thick stodgy mess, we’ve got some top tips from head chef at 5* hotel The Arch London, Gary Durrant. So you really can’t go wrong this year.
Here are his pearls of pancake wisdom.
1. Pick a pancake style
Almost every country and culture has its own version of pancakes, from a Malaysian ‘Lempeng’ made with banana and coconut, to a French crepe, fat Canadian pancake stack, or classic British pancakes served with sugar and lemon. The mixture for pancakes differs depending on the country’s readily available ingredients, such as corn in Venezuela, cabbage in Japan and rice in Nepal. All types of pancakes are relatively easy to make, so why not consider trying some different kinds to spice up your pancake day?
2. Use enough fat
[instagram url = ”
“]
3. Get the timing right
Pancakes should usually only take about 2-3 minutes to cook, but it’s best to ignore the clock and check for bubbles on the top of the pancake which mean it’s ready to flip over. Make sure not to cook it for much longer than 2-3 minutes though, as the batter could dry out.
4. Get creative with your toppings
[instagram url= ”
“]
5. Use this technique
Don’t just dollop the mixture in with any old kitchen utensil. It’s helpful if you spoon the batter into the pan using a large ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with a nice thin layer of batter.
75g – Plain flour
120ml – Full fat milk
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of salt
1 egg
Method:
Put the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl and make a dip in the centre using a spoon. In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg together, and then whisk this gradually into the flour mixture. The batter should resemble the consistency of single cream. Some people swear by leaving the mixture to rest for an hour, but I think it’s fine to use straight away. A heavy non-stick frying pan about 16cm across is best – over a steady medium to high heat.
Enjoy the convenience of having The Sunday Post delivered as a digital ePaper straight to your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Subscribe for only £5.49 a month and enjoy all the benefits of the printed paper as a digital replica.
Subscribe