Depending on which country you are from you might be celebrating Pancake Day, Shrove
Tuesday or even Mardi Gras - Fat Tuesday on the 5 th March this year.
To most of us in the UK it will always be Shrove Tuesday, an annual Christian tradition on the last day before Lent - 40 days and nights of fasting and prayers before Easter.
Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up.
Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself and to use up the indulgent, fatty and rich foods that aren't allowed in Lent.
Indeed, the need to eat up the fats gave rise to the French name Mardi Gras; meaning Fat Tuesday.
Lent is also about giving up foods: but not wasting them.
So that no food was wasted, families would have a feast on the Shrove Tuesday and eat up all the foods that wouldn't last the forty days of Lent without going off.
Pancakes became associated with Shrove Tuesday as they were a dish that could use up all the eggs, fats and milk in the house with just the addition of flour and because were considered indulgent and sinful.
These days it’s not just the pancakes that are sinful – the toppings are just as bad if not more so!
Why not have a go at making your own basic pancakes with Delia’s trusty recipe below and try out some of these mouth-watering additions, as suggested by our consultants.
Basic Pancake Recipe…
Ingredients
110g plain flour (or gluten free alternative)
1 Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
200ml semi-skimmed milk mixed with 75ml water
50g butter
Method
Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. You can also replace the flour with a gluten free alternative.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it.
Whisk the eggs, incorporating bits of flour from around the edges.
When the mixture starts thicken, add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, until all the liquid has been added and the batter is smooth.
Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the batter and whisk it in.
Saving the rest of the butter to use in the pan to stop the batter sticking.
Heat the pan to a medium heat and add a ladle of batter (do a test one to work out the correct amounts for your pan).
As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter.
If you have any holes in it, add a teaspoon of the mixture just to fill them in.
Cook for approx. 30 seconds until golden brown.
Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife or go for a full flip in the air if you dare! The other side will need a few seconds only - then simply slide it out of the pan on to a plate.
Repeat and enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of - www.deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/basic-pancakes
We recommend…
“If I have time, I like to make pan-fried apples with toffee sauce!” - Debbie, Managing Director
“Bacon, Maple syrup and Banana. I haven’t tried it yet but I’ve heard it’s a winning combination so I will give it a try and keep you posted!"; - Rebecca, Rural Housekeeping Consultant
“The best pancakes I ever had were halloumi, fried eggs and maple syrup, from a quirky little brunch spot in Oxford. I really like the mixture of sweet and savoury, so another favourite of
mine is apple butter with goats cheese, caramelized onions and fresh spinach – you should try it!” - Charlie, Marketing Manager
“Peanut butter and jam!!! Heaven” - Mariane, Temp Housekeeping Consultant
“Canadian maple syrup and bacon! Or bananas and Nutella of course… or bananas, vanilla ice-cream and cinnamon… I can’t choose!” - Giles, Learning & Development Manager
“Goat's cheese, butternut squash & rosemary” - Andy, International Manager
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