Flippin' good pancake recipes

Shrove Tuesday

Pancake recipes 

Everyone loves a good excuse to indulge in lots of pancakes so here are some recipes, courtesy of our catering team, for you to try out on Shrove Tuesday this year!

 

Classic “Old Fashioned” pancakes – makes 12 pancakes

A traditional old-style recipe that my Dad made for us growing up, I believe it was from his Grandma – so probably 100+ years old. I imagine it had some tweaks as some ingredients became more common or affordable. The use of lard will not be to everyone’s taste but it would have been often the only choice for most people in the UK at the time, it does add a lot in terms of flavour, as does the wholemeal flour.

Ingredients

  • 200g plain white flour
  • 50g plain wholemeal flour
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 600ml whole milk
  • 50g lard – you can use vegetable or sunflower oil as an alternative

Method:

  1. Weigh out the flours and salt into a large mixing bowl, making a well in the centre.
  2. Whisk the eggs lightly then add to the well, whisking until smooth.
  3. Add half the milk and whisk in, gradually whisking in the remaining milk.
  4. Leave the batter to rest for at least 1 hour.
  5. Grease a large, round frying pan with the lard or oil and put on medium-high heat.
  6. Spoon or ladle the batter onto the surface of the pan once heated, rotating the pan to ensure the pancake fully fills the pan.
  7. Flip after 2 minutes.
  8. Top with a spoon of muscovado/dark brown sugar and a squeeze of lemon or orange.

Fluffy American-style sourdough pancakes – makes 8 pancakes

A straightforward and light recipe which I make at the weekends for my family. If you have sourdough starter at home this is a great way to use up the wastage. You can add many different flavourings or ingredients – ground cinnamon and nuts or chocolate chips are just a few examples.

Ingredients:

  • 200g excess sourdough starter (100% Hydration / “wet” starter)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon full-fat Greek yoghurt
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tbsp. sunflower or vegetable oil

Method:

  1. Place a large, flat non-stick frying pan on medium heat (don’t allow it to get too hot – it only needs about 2 mins to be at the right temp, about the time it takes to mix the pancakes).
  2. Mix stir egg and yoghurt into the starter.
  3. Add the salt and bicarb – stir in and add any additional flavourings.
  4. Turn down the heat on the pan to medium and add the oil, scoop 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the surface per pancake – make sure you leave enough room for them to spread.
  5. When the top of the pancakes shows bubbles on the surface, flip them over and cook for another two minutes.
  6. Serve straight away with a topping of your choice.

Savoury chickpea pancakes – makes 2 large pancakes

A personal favourite for a healthy and filling lunch. A great-tasting vegan, gluten-free savoury pancake originally from southern France (Socca) and northern Italy (Farinata).

The taste is much greater than the sum of the parts! They can be eaten as they are, I really like mushrooms or roasted peppers with them.

Ingredients:

  • 150g chickpea flour
  • 450g water
  • 6g sea salt
  • 25ml extra virgin olive oil + 100ml cooking olive oil for frying
  • A small handful of freshly chopped rosemary

Method:

  1. Place the chickpea flour in a large mixing bowl, and gradually whisk in the water carefully to avoid the mixture becoming lumpy.
  2. Once all the water has been whisked in, the batter will have the consistency of single cream – allow to stand for 2-4 hours at room temperature, stirring occasionally – this allows the flour to become fully hydrated.
  3. Whisk in the salt and extra virgin olive oil when ready to cook.
  4. Place a large flat non-stick frying pan on high heat, after allowing a few minutes to preheat. Add half the cooking oil, and rotate the pan to ensure the oil fully covers the base.
  5. Ladle half the pancake batter into the pan and sprinkle some of the rosemary over the top.
  6. Once the pancake has had several minutes of frying on the bottom, place the pan under the grill to brown the top.
  7. Repeat the process with the other half of the batter; the pancakes are best served and eaten straight away.