English Pancake Recipe and Savoury and Sweet Fillings ideas

It is shrove Tuesday.  The day when every one traditionally uses up all the things in their pantry that they are giving up for Lent (if they are religious) or just an excuse for eating pancakes which are a food that are often forgotten.  Pancakes are quick and easy.  There are lots of different kinds of pancakes.  The English pancake is just a bit thicker and less lacy than a French crepe, but bigger than American pancakes.  Traditionally you put a filling in them and roll them up.  They used to be a really frugal food but with the increased price in eggs and milk they are not as cheap as they used to be. When I was a child, people would put lemon juice in pancakes and a sprinkle of sugar or spread with jam as a cheap dessert, but you can use pancakes with sweet or savoury fillings.  They don’t have to be anything expensive but can be things that you eat already or left overs.  Here are some ideas for what you can put in your pancakes.

Recipe for English Pancake

250g plain flour

3 large eggs

500ml milk

1 tbsp of melted butter (or oil)

Pinch of salt

Butter for the pan (or oil)

1. Put the flour and the salt into a bowl and make a dent in the middle
2. In a measuring jug whisk the melted butter (or oil) and the eggs together.
3. Pour the milk into the jug and whisk all the ingredients together by hand whisk or with an electric whisk.
4. Pour half of the milk into the dent in the middle and draw in the flour from the side.
5. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until a smooth batter
6. Heat the frying pan
7. Smear some butter on a kitchen towel and spread around the pan
8. Add a ladle full of batter and swirl it around thinly
9. Cook for between a minute an two minutes until it is golden underneath and then flip and cook the other side (if it is stuck, gently run a knife underneath the edges of the pancakes.
10. Repeat until all the batter is used.

Savoury

Baked beans cooked with some onion, and chilli with some grated cheese on top

Fill with bolognaise or chilli with grated cheese

Chicken and ham in a white sauce (or a sauce made with cream cheese)

Cottage cheese and fresh herbs

Fajita chicken and cooked onions and peppers

Breakfast pancakes (a mixture of bacon, mushrooms, eggs and tomato)

BBQ chicken and salad

Bacon and maple syrup

Brie, cranberry and bacon

Curry

Spinach and ricotta

Sweet

Yoghurt, apple compote and cinnamon

Nutella and mandarin orange segments or strawberries

Fresh fruit and fresh cream

Vanilla ice cream and cherries

Caramel sauce and and banana

Golden syrup

Chocolate sauce and ice cream

Ricotta cheese and lemon curd

Peanut butter and jam (jelly)

Peanut butter and banana

What do you put in your pancakes?