On Thursday, we celebrated a belated Pancake Day at one of my teammate's house. This is the British version of Fat Tuesday, and it turned out to be a lot of fun! Those Brits sure know how to party.
The first thing I learned about Pancake Day is that the pancakes are not like our traditional pancakes. These more closely resemble an egg-y version of crepes. These pancakes can be made more savory by topping them with green pepper, tomatoes, and cheese or they can be eaten as a sweet treat with peanut butter, syrup, chocolate sauce, or honey. The traditional topping, which turned out to be my very favorite, is sugar and lemon.
Like any good gathering, the majority of the time is spent with everyone hanging out around the kitchen because the main event of Pancake Day is the actual making of the pancakes. Not only is this the main event, it's also the source of entertainment for the party! Because these pancakes are so large, thin, and floppy, the "easiest" way, and arguably most fun way, to flip them is by tossing them into the air and catching them in the pan. Everyone is involved in this process and gets a turn to toss a pancake. Our hostess was prepared with a drop cloth for the floor just in case any pancakes inevitably missed the pan.
Our British teammates appeared to be seasoned pros at this flipping business, but others of us felt the pressure to get it just right and asked for some coaching and tips. Amazingly, very few pancakes found their way to the floor and none landed on an unlucky flipper's head. Apparently, some families tie a string up high in the kitchen and you have to flip your pancake over the string! We haven't reached that skill level yet, but maybe next year...
British Sugar And Lemon Pancakes
1 cup of flour
A pinch of salt
2 eggs
1-¼ cups of milk
2 ounces of butter
Granulated sugar and lemon wedges
Instructions
1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Use the back of a spoon to make a “well”.
2. Add the eggs into the well along with half of the milk. Using a whisk, gradually stir the flour into the eggs and milk. Beat the mixture well until all the lumps are gone and the batter is nice and smooth.
3. Add the rest of the milk and whisk again.
4. Heat a frying pan on high. When it is hot, turn the heat down to medium.
5. Melt the butter in the frying pan and then pour it into a small bowl. Measure 2 tablespoons of butter and add it to the batter, stirring well.
6. Use a tablespoon of the melted butter to fully grease the pan. Put 3 tablespoons of batter into the frying pan (It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan all at once).
A pinch of salt
2 eggs
1-¼ cups of milk
2 ounces of butter
Granulated sugar and lemon wedges
Instructions
1. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Use the back of a spoon to make a “well”.
2. Add the eggs into the well along with half of the milk. Using a whisk, gradually stir the flour into the eggs and milk. Beat the mixture well until all the lumps are gone and the batter is nice and smooth.
3. Add the rest of the milk and whisk again.
4. Heat a frying pan on high. When it is hot, turn the heat down to medium.
5. Melt the butter in the frying pan and then pour it into a small bowl. Measure 2 tablespoons of butter and add it to the batter, stirring well.
6. Use a tablespoon of the melted butter to fully grease the pan. Put 3 tablespoons of batter into the frying pan (It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan all at once).
7. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter.
8. Cook the pancake for 30 to 60 seconds or until it gets slightly brown. Then flip the pancake and cook the second side till it is light brown. This side will only need a few seconds to cook.
9. Repeat this process (starting with a little melted butter) until all of the pancakes are cooked or until everyone is full!
10. To serve the traditional way, sprinkle each pancake with freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar, fold in half, then in half again to form triangles, or simply roll them up.
Looks hilariously fun!!!! We love pancakes and crepes at our house!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Kahl's