Pancake day is just around the corner, and this year I’m going to follow the batter recipe my mum always used to make pancakes for me when I was growing up.
It originated in a Tupperware cookbook from France, and the clever part is that you don’t need to weigh anything; all the ingredients just go into one large measuring jug.
Mum always made more pancakes than we could possibly eat in one sitting, and would store whatever was left over for breakfast the next day. As you stack the pancakes on a plate, place tinfoil between them to prevent them from sticking together, then tightly wrap the whole stack in foil so that it’s airtight. These will keep until the following day in a cool, dry cupboard. You could also freeze them for up to three months.
Ingredients - makes 2 litres of batter
Plain flour
2 tsp salt
6 eggs
1 litre milk, at room temperature
Vegetable oil
Method
In a large measuring jug, pour flour up to the 800ml mark (gently tap the sides of jug to level the surface of the flour, so you can see when it’s reached the correct level). Add the salt.
Break the eggs into the jug, add a little milk, and using an electric whisk on the lowest setting, slowly whisk the ingredients together, adding more milk a little at a time.
When all the milk has been used and the mixture has reached a smooth, runny consistency, add vegetable oil to the jug, pouring until you reach the 2 litre mark. Whisk for a few seconds to combine.
Heat a flat non-stick frying pan. You shouldn’t need to add any oil to the pan – the oil in the batter should be sufficient to prevent the mixture from burning and sticking. Pour in a small amount of batter and tilt the pan so the mixture spreads to the edges. You’re aiming to completely cover the base of the pan while keeping the pancake as thin as possible – after 12 months with no practice, I usually find myself with a few thick, stodgy pancakes and a few lattice-patterned ones, before I finally get the hang of it again.
Cook for a couple of minutes until the batter begins to bubble, and give the pan a brisk shake back and forth – if the first side is cooked, the pancake will slide loose from the pan – then flip the pancake over and cook the other side, until both sides are golden-brown. Transfer to a plate.
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