As the date of Pancake Day changes each year it does often creep up on me and before I know it I have very little time to get everything ready.  

I usually associate eating lots of yummy pancakes with my birthday as Shrove Tuesday usually falls somewhere near it.

To me Pancake Day is about digging out an old recipe used only once a year in my household, wishing I had a nice frying pan (you know the ones specifically made for pancakes) and convincing my husband that you can have both sweet and savoury pancakes.

When I was younger my granny loved teaching me how to make pancakes and thought I was particularly good in this culinary field. So when did I lose the ability to toss a pancake into the air?  I blame my industrial heavy frying pan - not very practical for tossability! And if this isn’t a word – it should be!

So this year, like every year, I will be making my favourite savoury pancakes stuffed with onion, bacon, cheese and mushrooms for main but then keeping to tradition and making several sweet pancakes with sugar and lemon for pudding.

Pancake Batter Recipe:

4oz (110g) plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
10.5 fl oz (300 ml) milk
2 oz (50g) butter 

• Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with the sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing.
• Make a well in the centre of the flour with your hand or a spoon and break the eggs in it.  Remove any egg shell which may have dropped in.
• Then begin whisking the eggs with any sort of whisk or a fork.  Next, gradually whisk small quantities of the milk to form a smooth batter with the consistency of thin cream.
• Heat a medium non-stick frying pan (20cm in diameter) until very hot.  Add the butter to the pan to melt.  Spoon two tablespoons of it into the batter and whisk it in.
• Pour the remaining melted butter into a separate bowl to use when needed to lubricate the pan, using kitchen paper to smear it around the pan.  
• Let the pan get really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and start with a test pancake.  Pour enough batter into the pan using a ladle to coat the base (Normally three tablespoons of batter is around the correct amount for a 20 cm pan). 
• As soon as the batter hits the pan, swirl it from side to side to get the batter to be event and cover the base of the pan and then cook for approximately 30 seconds.
• Loosen the edges with a palette knife, turn over or toss (badly in my case) the pancake and cook the other side.  Then simply slide it out on to a plate.

Savoury Pancakes with Bacon, Mushroom and Onion:

Several rashers of smoked or un-smoked bacon (cut into small strips)

One large onion (chopped)

Mushrooms (washed and diced)

Mild Guernsey Cheese (grated)

I usually prepare the batter first, then cook this mix and when on a low heat, then start to cook the pancakes.  If you have made savoury pancakes before, you must as they are now my favourite and I couldn’t have a pancake day without them.

To make these savoury pancakes simply fry the onions in a separate pan until soft and then add the bacon.  Once the bacon is cooked, add the mushrooms for a minute to soften up.  Once ready keep on low heat.   Some of this mixture can then be added to a finished warm pancake with a sprinkling of grated cheese on top and then folded by rolling the pancake up.

Veggie Option -

Replace the bacon with something like asparagus which needs cooking for a little bit longer.

Sweet Pancakes:

Caster Sugar
Lemon Juice / Lemon Wedges

To serve sweet pancakes simply sprinkle lemon juice or preferably squeeze some a lemon wedge over the pancake following by some caster sugar.  Fold in half, and then half again or simply just roll the pancake up, adding a touch more sugar and lemon juice on top to finish.

I hope I have got your tastebuds going.  So if you have not got any of these ingredients, pop down to your local shop to BUY LOCAL and get that frying pan ready.

Enjoy