Pancakes! Two unbeatable fluffy pancake recipes and a savoury number from Sophie Wyburd.
Hi all,
And a happy Sunday, wherever you may be! If you follow me on instagram, you may have noticed that i’m currently on the other side of the world in Australia. I’m taking a little break after a very busy few years. But oh no, even on the other side of the world I won’t be missing pancake day…
In todays bonus issue i’m talking fluffy, thick pancakes. Everyone needs a good fat pancake recipe up their sleeve, ready to whip up when you need to rustle up brunch or the urge for those lighter-than-air discs is a must!
In this issue I share a recipe for classic fluffy pancakes that makes a handy single portion (don’t worry, they can be doubled, tripled or quadrupled!).
There’s also an unbeatable recipe where you add ricotta to the batter - creating something rich yet light and totally delicious. These pancakes never fail to please, especially when served with a salty and sweet honey and tahini butter and caramelised bananas.
Plus one of my favourite recipe writers Sophie Wyburd shares her baked savoury crepe recipe with oozy taleggio cheese, speck ham and endive - you lucky lot!
Enjoy these lovely pancakes!
Esther x
HOW TO -
Get them super fluffy - The key is to separate the egg yolks from the whites and to add air into the whites by whisking them to stiff peaks. The dry ingredients are combined into the yolks, then both mixes are very gently folded back together. To do this you need to make sure the yolk and flour mix isn’t too heavy to knock out any air you’ve created in the whites. Thats why I loosen with milk. You also want to make sure you mix the whites and yolk bases in your two largest bowls. When you fold them back together you start by mixing in a spoonful of the whites to make sure the yolk mix is as loose as it can be. Then the rest is folded in very gently, preferable with a large metal spoon.
Stop them from sticking - its partly to do with you pan - in fact its a lot to do with your pan. A good non-stick pan is essential in the home kitchen. If you want to invest in a crêpe pan this one is great value for money and highly non-stick.
Don’t over do it on the butter. Just stick a wedge on the end of a cutlery knife and sweep it all the way round the base of the pan. This should be enough to fry them in. Too much butter and they turn greasy.
Adding a small amount of vegetable oil to your butter when frying stops the butter from burning and becoming bitter.
Cook them perfectly - You need to regulate that heat. I think lower is better. Too high and you’ll burn the outside of the pancake and be left with a sticky, under cooked centre. Lower the heat and flip them several times until golden brown on the outside and puffed up. If they are cooked they should spring back a little when you press your finger into them. When you are cooking a batch, keep them in a warm oven and this should cook them through a little more and ensure they stay warm.
Eggs, flour butter - The base ingredients are simple for a good pancake. Wether thats the thick ones or crêpes, these 3 ingredients form the base. I like to buy good quality rich yolk eggs. The fresher the better as older egg whites don’t aerated as well as the fresher ones so if you find you’re not getting enough air in your pancakes this may be the issue. The flour needs to be in date as old flour just doesn’t work well (yes we sometimes forget to check that) and I like to use an organic white like Doves farm. The butter should be unsalted for frying and salted for finishing - this gives you more control.
Finish them off - these ideas can apply to any type of pancake.
Butter - good salted butter, cold from the fridge and melted on pancakes is unbeatable or a flavoured butter - see the tahini and honey butter recipe below (paid subs only)
Syrup - A slick of good quality maple is the classic way. I also like a dark honey or date syrup.
Bacon - Streaky bacon is obviously a classic but it must be grilled until super crispy. You can brush it with a little maple then whack it under the grill for 30 seconds more if you like a caramelised finish.
Fruit - I really love sharp poached or roasted fruit with my pancakes, especially the ricotta ones.
3 quick fruity ideas -
Blueberry and vanilla compote - tip 250g blueberries into a pan with the juice of half a lemon and 2 tbsp maple syrup and 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste and simmer uncovered for 5 mins or until the blueberries start to soften a little and become saucy. - you can add a split vanilla pod to this if you like.
Honey butter roasted plums - Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Toss 6 plums with 1/2 tsp cinnamon , 65g honey , 40g butter and a small pinch of salt in a roasting tin. Arrange the fruit cut side down and roast for 15 minutes. - you can do the same with apricots or wedges of apple or pear.
Macerated berries - cut up 300g of your favourite berries - strawberries and raspberries work well. Add 2 tbsp of caster sugar and the finely grated zest and juice of a lemon and set aside for at least 1 hour to macerate. - you can add vanilla, crushed fennel seeds or lemon thyme to this if you like! - these are good with a scoop of ice cream.
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