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Some people eat them on shrove Tuesday, others eat them all the year around, whatever your preference there are plenty of different pancakes to choose from.

 

 

 

Oat, banana & orange pancake - gluten*, egg & dairy
Buckwheat pancakes with purple sprouting broccoli – gluten free
Buckwheat pancakes (fermented) – gluten, egg & dairy free
Herb pancakes with crème fraiche & red onion confit
Wholemeal pancakes with cinnamon-apples
Nettle pancakes
Idli batter pancakes (fermented) gluten and dairy free
Shrove Tuesday classic
Italian chestnut pancakes (neccio) gluten free
French crepes au chocolat

*avenin the protein in oats can cause a problem for people with severe intolerances to gluten

 

Oat, banana & orange pancake
serves 4 with a medium 6” pancake
100g gluten free oat flakes
1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
200ml oat milk
1 ripe banana
coconut oil
to serve – orange segments and banana slices

 

Grind the oats to flour in a food processor. Add the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, vanilla essence, roughly chopped banana and oat milk to the oats and blend until smooth. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Heat a fry pan and swirl a little coconut oil over the bottom. Drop a tablespoon of the batter into the pan and using a palette knife smooth out to a 6” circle. Cook for a couple of minutes or until set, before flipping over and cooking for a further minute. Slide onto a plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Serve topped with bananas and orange segments.

 

Buckwheat pancakes with purple sprouting broccoli

makes about 4 pancakes

110g buckwheat flour

25g corn flour

2 eggs

275ml milk dairy or oat

olive oil

 

Place the flours into a bowl. Add the eggs and milk, beat until smooth and season. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Heat a smidgeon of oil in a small frying pan. Add a little of the batter mixture and tip to coat the base of the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden. Flip over and cook the other side for a further 1-2 minutes. Slide onto a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 8 pancakes in total. Take to the table and start filling!

 

Purple sprouting broccoli with chili & ginger

4 small handfuls sprouting broccoli

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons stock

1 fresh chili, finely diced

2 teaspoons grated ginger

black pepper and salt

splash of soy

 

Cook broccoli in the olive oil and stock until stock evaporates. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Place a handful in the middle of each pancake, roll up and serve.

 

Buckwheat pancakes (fermented)

makes about 6 pancakes

275g raw hulled buckwheat groats

2 tablespoons sauerkraut juice or kefir

1 teaspoon salt

little olive oil

 

Place the buckwheat in a bowl, cover well with water and soak overnight. The next morning pour off the soak water and rinse well.

Blend the buckwheat, sauerkraut juice or kefir and salt in a blender with enough water so that it reaches the consistency of pancake batter. Aim to make your mixture as smooth as possible. Pour into a jug which has room for expansion, cover and leave in a warm place for 12 – 18 hours.

Heat a fry pan and swirl a little olive oil around the base then pour in enough batter to cover the pan and make a pancake that is not too thick. Cook all the way through then flip over and cook for a further minute before sliding out onto a plate.

Repeat until you have made all the pancakes you want.

Store unused batter in the fridge where it will last for 3 days.

Serve your pancakes with anything you fancy, savoury or sweet

 

Herb pancakes with crème fraiche & red onion confit

makes 4 small pancakes – serves 2

75g spelt flour,

pinch salt

1 egg, beaten

4 tablespoons milk – dairy or oat

2 tablespoons chopped chives

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

little olive oil

1 tablespoon Barbados sugar

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 large red onion, finely sliced

salt/black pepper

crème fraiche

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

 

In a bowl mix the flour, egg and milk to a smooth batter. Stir in the herbs and set aside.

Put sugar and water in pan and stir to dissolve. Bring to boil over a medium heat and cook until beginning to caramelise. Add vinegar and onions, stir well and cook until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper

Lightly oil a fry pan and heat before dropping 2 x spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot pan. Cook until golden flip over and cook the other side. Remove and keep warm whilst you make 2 more pancakes.

Divide the pancakes between 2 plates top each pancake with a dollop of crème fraiche , the confit and some chives

 

Wholemeal pancakes with cinnamon-apples

makes about 6 pancakes

125g wholemeal wheat flour

275ml milk

2 eggs

2 large dessert apples

25g butter

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 dessertspoon honey

splash of Calvados

crème fraiche

cinnamon

 

Mix the flour, eggs and milk together to make a batter, pour into a jug and leave to stand for 1 hour.

Peel, quarter, core and finely slice the apples. Melt the butter in a sauté pan and cook the apples until they begin to soften. Add the honey and continue to cook until they begin to caramelise, add the cinnamon and the splash of Calvados, swirl around then remove from the heat.

Heat a fry pan and add a knob of butter . Ladle some of the pancake mixture into the pan then tilt the pan to spread the mixture out evenly. When the pancake is set and golden turn over and cook for a further 1 minute. Transfer the pancake to a plate and keep warm whilst you make the rest Cover half of each pancake with apple mixture flip over the other half and serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

 

Nettle pancakes
makes 6-8 pancakes
250g white spelt flour
good pinch of salt
500ml milk
3 eggs
1 litre young nettle leaves
butter

 

Beat salt, eggs and milk together. Gradually beat in the flour, beating well until you have a smooth batter. Leave the batter to rest for 1 hour.

 

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Plunge in the nettles and cook for 45. Strain the nettles, (save the blanch water for a nourishing drink) and refresh in cold water. Drain and squeeze the blanched nettles well to remove as much water as possible.

Finely chop the nettles and stir into the pancake batter. Heat a fry pan and add a knob of butter . Ladle some of the pancake mixture into the pan then tilt the pan to spread the mixture out evenly. When the pancake is set and golden turn over and cook for a further 1 minute. Transfer the pancake to a plate. Add another knob of butter to the pan and repeat the process. Serve as they are or with ever you fancy.

 

Idli batter (fermented) gluten and dairy free

Makes 18 small pancakes

450g idli rice or basmati rice
150g lentils – traditionally white lentils are used but works fine with split red

1 teaspoon salt

 

Soak the rice and lentils separately in plenty of water overnight.
Drain the water from the lentils then in a blender, with enough water blend until you have a thick, smooth batter, turn into a bowl.
Drain the water from the rice, add the salt and blend well with the addition of water to make a just pourable consistency. Add to the lentil mixture and whisk well together for a couple of minutes so the mixture is well aerated.
Pour the batter into a large jar that allows plenty of room for expansion. Cover and leave to ferment in a warm place for around 24 hours, the time will vary depending on the temperature of the room. When it is well risen and bubbly, it is ready to use.

Lightly heat a fry pan and swirl around a smidgeon of oil.  Pour in a small amount of batter and repeat to make 4 small pancakes. Cook until set and golden, flip over with a palette knife and cook the other side.

Remove and keep warm whilst you make more.

 

Shrove Tuesday classic

makes around 6 – 8 pancakes

250g plain flour

pinch of salt

2 large eggs

500ml full fat dairy milk

10g butter

caster sugar

lemons

 

Beat salt, eggs and milk together. Gradually beat in the flour, beating well until you have a smooth batter. Leave the batter to rest for 1 hour.

Heat a fry pan and swirl a knob of butter over the bottom

Ladle some of the pancake mixture into the pan then tilt the pan to spread the mixture out evenly

When set shake the pan to loosen the pancake, then flip over with a palette knife (or toss) and cook the other side for 30 seconds. Slide onto a plate and keep warm as you make the others. Serve with caster sugar and a generous squeeze of lemon juice.

 

Italian chestnut pancakes (neccio)

makes 6 – 8 pancakes

250g chestnut flour

200ml water

2 tablespoons olive oil + extra

ricotta & honey

 

In a large bowl, mix the flour with enough water to get a smooth, dense batter, slightly thicker than crepe batter. Add olive oil and a pinch of salt and mix again. Heat and lightly oil a frying pan. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the batter to the pan and tilt to evenly coat the pan

Cook for about 2 minutes or until you see that the top of the batter looks dry. Flip over and cook the other side for one minute. Keep warm whilst you make more. Roll up with a spoonful of fresh cheese and honey.

 

French crepes au chocolat
makes 10 pancakes
3 eggs
10g caster sugar
250g plain flour
125g full fat dairy milk
1 tsp brandy
butter
100g dark chocolate
40ml full fat milk

 

Mix the eggs, sugar , flour, milk and brandy together and whisk well. Leave to rest for 1 hour.

 

To make chocolate sauce, heat the milk in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Set aside.

 

Heat a large fry pan . Swirl in a little butter. Pour in just enough batter to cover the pan, and swirl the batter around to create a thin crepe. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip in half, then half again. Slide onto a plate, and top with chocolate sauce. Repeat until you have used up all the batter and chocolate sauce.

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