British Pancakes
Serves 4
Growing up in the North of England, I always remember loving Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday, to give its official name. Shrove Tuesday, which is the same as Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday in the US, is the day before Ash Wednesday. The history behind Shrove Tuesday is that it is the last day before Lent and falls 47 days before Easter Sunday. A lot of the time individuals will give up something in their diet during Lent, such as chocolate. Shrove Tuesday is about using up all the ingredients that are usually not allowed to be consumed during Lent, such as milk, butter, sugar, and eggs.
As kids we would always think of Pancake Day coming around late February or early March. We would never quite remember the actual day, until we stepped into our house and smelled the delightful aroma of batter being cooked by our mam in the kitchen. The three of usꟷ Michael, Julie, and myselfꟷ would be fighting each other to get into the kitchen to see who would get the first hot pancake as it slid from the pan onto a warm plate. With a sprinkle of sugar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, it was a delicious treat. We would eat so many that night, it would literally take a year before we would want to eat them again.
So what are British pancakes? Pancake means something different in the US than it does in the UK. American pancakes are typically light and fluffy because they are made with baking soda and are eaten with syrup for breakfast anytime of the year. Whereas British pancakes use plain flour, have no rising agent, and look more like crêpes. They are not the same as the French version. The British batter is slightly thicker. British pancakes are also smaller than the French crêpe. The beauty of both the crêpe and the pancake is that they sit somewhere between a childhood treat and a grown-up indulgence. The British pancake is elegant, crisp, lacy, and unsweetened, and it can partner with anything from smoked salmon to dulce de leche to a little dusting of sugar. Each in its own right tastes outstanding.
Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs (free range if possible)
1¼ cup milk or almond milk
2 teaspoon butter, melted
2 teaspoons butter
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup garlic and herb goat’s cheese
8oz smoked salmon
Lemon wedges
How to make:
Place the flour, salt, eggs, milk and melted butter into your blender. Blend until smooth. Rest for 30 minutes.
Place a medium size frying pan over a high heat. Add a half teaspoon of butter, and allow to melt. Pour in enough batter to thinly coat the base of the pan.
Cook for one minute or until golden then loosen the edges of the pancake and flip. Cook for one minute more. Place on a warm plate to keep warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter, adding half teaspoon of butter for each pancake.
Meanwhile, place the peas in a microwavable container and cook for two minutes on high in the microwave. Remove from the microwave and drain off any water.
Place the salmon on a plate covered with a paper towel. Cook on high in the microwave for one minute. Remove and carefully pull to flake the salmon into small pieces.
To serve, lay out the pancakes and fill with even amounts of cheese, peas, and salmon. Roll up like a cigar. Serve with wedges of lemon.