Basic pancake mix
For this recipe you'll need to use an oil suitable for frying at high temperatures, one without a strong flavour such as sunflower or groundnut oil. You could also substitute the plain flour for buckwheat, which goe particularly well with savoury fillings. The possibilities for fillings are as broad as your imagination, but some good ones are apple compôte, banana and chocolate, leek and goat's cheese, chicken, avocado and pesto, chicken with leeks and honey, roasted veg and cheese
Ingredients
- 100g plain flour
- a good pinch of salt
- 1 egg and 1 extra egg yolk
- 300ml milk (whole or semi-skimmed; skimmed can be a little too thin)
- a little melted butter or oil for greasing the pan
Method
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Step 1
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Add a good pinch of salt. Add the egg and the extra yolk.
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Step 2
Add a ladle of the milk and whisk or stir well to remove any lumps; it's easier to do this with less batter in the bowl, and using an electric hand whisk will make life easier. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until you have a light, smooth batter.
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Step 3
Leave to rest for 30 minutes if you can, it helps keep your pancakes light.
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Step 4
Heat a pancake pan or medium non-stick frying pan (23cm) to a medium temperature. Use some kitchen paper dipped in a little melted butter or oil to grease the pan. Ladle in some of the pancake batter, tipping it quickly around the pan until it's covered in a thin layer.
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Step 5
Cook for about 1½ minutes on the first side, until the pancake looks matt, the edges are starting to turn golden and are coming away slightly from the pan. You will see some small bubbles appearing from underneath too. Use a pallet knife to turn the pancake over (or flip if you dare!) and cook for another minute or so. They should be lightly golden on both sides.
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Step 6
If you want to make pancakes in advance, cook them as instructed then layer them between greaseproof paper sheets and cover with clingfilm. Keep in the fridge until needed or freeze a batch. Reheat them gently in the pan you cooked them in, or warm them in a low oven.
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Step 7
If you're using them straightaway, layer each one between greaseproof paper on a heatproof plate and keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.
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Step 8
The side you cook first usually has a prettier pattern than the second, so fill the pancake on the second side and fold over to show the first cooked side, for aesthetic purposes!