Pub Food Focus: Pancakes - flipping great!

Most of us have that 'thing' that we can neither eat nor drink any more due to completely overdoing it at some point in our lives.

For some it's an alcoholic drink and for others it's a foodstuff that brings bad memories with it. And for a long time mine has been pancakes.

Let me explain. When I was young my neighbour's grandson lived in Canada and used to come and stay for four weeks of every summer - and with him used to come Aunt Jemima's pancake mix and corn syrup. We used to devour a whole box in one sitting. I can't remember how many pancakes a whole box made but suffice to say we didn't move much for a few hours after we'd gorged ourselves!

I was reminded of this by a press release from Tate & Lyle about Pancake Day. I've never made my own pancakes from scratch before, so I logged onto the website www.welove

pancakes.co.uk and decided immediately to start experimenting.

While the site has some lovely sweet ideas for your pancakes, it set my mind to thinking about how to make pancakes a bit different. I came up with some beer pancakes and a twist on everyone's favourite Chinese duck dish, that your customers might enjoy as a nod towards tradition on February 16.

And you can always take the recipes here as a bit of inspiration to flip out and try your own ideas!

Recipe

Beer Pancakes with Cheese & Sweet Bacon

Serves: 4

This is a really simple but incredibly indulgent bar snack that will warm the cockles of your customers' hearts on Shrove Tuesday.

Ingredients:

Pancakes (makes 4 in a 10" pan)​

• 300ml standard bitter
• 2 medium eggs
• 125g plain flour
• 25g melted butter

Filling (per pancake)​

• Handful of extra mature Cheddar, or other salty cheese
• One rasher of good quality thick-cut smoked bacon
• 1tbsp Lyle's Golden Syrup, warmed
• Wholegrain mustard
• Salad leaves for garnish

Method for Pancakes:

1. Pour ale and eggs into a jug and beat well. Place flour into a bowl and make hollow in centre.

2. Gradually pour the egg and beer mixture into the centre of the flour, whisking just in the centre as you pour. Keep whisking so you pull in all of the flour from the outside of the bowl - to avoid getting any lumps.

3. When all the flour is incorporated, whisk melted butter into the batter, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge.

4. When you're ready to make your pancake, use a non-stick frying pan - and put in enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan to about the thickness of a pound coin, these will need to be a tiny bit thicker than your average pancake.

5. Heat frying pan on a medium heat until there's a slight haze coming from it. Melt a sliver of butter, moving the pan around so it covers the base of the pan. Tip any excess butter into a small bowl for the next pancake.

6. Whisk the batter once more before using it. Ladle some into the pan - twisting it as you go so that it covers the bottom of the pan.

7. Place the pan back onto the heat and leave to cook for 1-2 minutes. To check if pancake is ready to be turned, loosen the edges with a spatula then give it a little shake - it should come loose and move in the pan. The pancake should be opaque on top and a light golden brown colour underneath.

8. If you're feeling brave, grab the handle with both hands and move away from the hob slightly. Drop the pan down and quickly flip it back up again, using your wrists to flip the pan - the pancake should rise out of the pan and turn over.

9. Place back on heat, cook for one minute and slide onto warm plate.

10. If you're not feeling brave, use a fish slice to flip the pancake over, making sure the slice goes all the way under the pancake before you turn it. Keep in a warm place.

Method for Filling:

1. Brush one side of your bacon rashers with warmed Lyle's Golden Syrup, cook under grill, brushing other side upon turning (you can use sweet-cure bacon if you have it).

2. When bacon is cooked on both sides and nicely caramelised cut into chunks and place on a pancake that's been smeared with mustard, cover with the cheese, place back under grill until cheese melted but not runny.

3. Roll pancake and cut in half. Garnish with salad and serve.

Recipe

Pancakes (serves: 16)

Ingredients

• 600ml milk
• 4 medium eggs
• 250g plain flour
• 50g melted butter
• 2 tsp soy sauce

Method

1. Pour milk and eggs into a jug and beat well. Place flour into a bowl and make hollow in centre.

2. Gradually pour the egg and milk mixture into the centre of the flour, whisking just in the centre as you pour.

3. As you pour more steadily, keep whisking so you pull in all the flour from the outside of the bowl - this means you shouldn't get any lumps.

4. When all the flour has been incorporated whisk melted butter into the batter, cover with cling film and place in the fridge.

5. When you are ready to cook your pancakes take it from the fridge, add a tbsp of soy sauce and whisk into the mix as before - cook as instructed in recipe above.