English pancakes and so much more!

English pancakes and so much more … It’s Pancake Day!! All over England people will be enjoying English pancakes which are not like American pancakes but more like French crepes.

Pancake Day is celebrated on Shrove Tuesday, the day before the first day of Lent. Traditionally, it is a time to take stock of ourselves and think about how we can repent for any and all the wrongdoings we may have committed. A time when you may be considering what vice you will give up for the duration of Lent. Maybe it will be pancakes!

Here is how we have always made our pancakes although you can also add a few raisins.

Ingredients for 16 to 21 pancakes, it will depend on the size of your non-stick frying pan. We use a standard omelette sized one:

2 ½ cups (300 grams) all purpose flour
2 pints (1 litre) whole milk
1 level teaspoon salt
7 large eggs
lemon juice, plus fresh lemon wedges for serving

Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
Crack eggs into a separate bowl – check for broken shell or bad eggs.
Pour eggs into the centre of the flour and begin mixing with a balloon whisk.
Gradually add the milk.
Continue to whisk the flour gradually in from the sides until everything is combined.
Cover and leave in the fridge for up to 1 hour.
To prepare for cooking, lightly soak some kitchen paper in
vegetable oil.
Rub the oil well into an 8 – 10” frying pan – but not so that you can see it.
Place over a medium to high heat.
Use 1/3rd cup (70 ml) of pancake mix for each pancake and cook on each side for about 1 minute or until browned.
Once cooked, place the pancake on a plate, sprinkle with sugar and drizzle with lemon juice. Cover to keep warm as you cook the next one. Eventually you will end up with a pile of warm, sweet and lemon pancakes unless they have been eaten as you cooked them.
Wipe pan well with oil after each pancake.

But let’s not leave it there since there are other things you can do with your English pancakes. For example, you can create a Mille Feuille. Pile up your pancakes separated with a chocolate mousse or lemon cream, cover it in some soft icing or more cream and top it with fresh fruit.