Perfect Pancakes for Everyone!

31 Jan Perfect Pancakes for Everyone!

Recently we have been trying to think of new creative ways to have fun indoors and this month presents the perfect occasion to do that as it will be the first Pancake Day in lockdown!

By now we have all experienced the disappointment of getting to the shops only to find empty shelves so stay ahead of the game and get your ingredients in early with our perfect Pancake Day recipe.

With all the family being home due to lockdown it can be hard to juggle pleasing everyone but we’ve got everyone’s tastes covered with our three different sweet and savoury topping options.

So let’s get into how to make the perfect pancake!

For our buttermilk pancake recipe you’ll need the following ingredients to make enough for 4 people;

350g/12oz self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp caster sugar

200ml/7fl oz buttermilk

400ml/14fl oz semi-skimmed milk

2 free-range eggs

85g/3oz unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for frying

Now here’s what you’ll need to do;

1. In a bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl or jug, mix together the buttermilk, milk, eggs and butter. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Do not overbeat – stir just to combine.
3. Melt a small knob of butter in a large frying pan. Using a ladle, pour some batter into the pan to make a pancake. Depending on the size of the pan, you may be able to make more than one pancake at a time, or if you are confident you can use two pans at the same time.
4. Cook the pancakes for about a minute, or until the underside is golden brown and the top is bubbling. Turn them over using a palette knife or fish slice and cook for another minute.

Next it’s time to talk toppings! Here are the ingredients and instructions for each;

Caramel Banana

87.5g caster sugar

67.5g glucose

8g butter

150ml Dbl cream

3 bananas sliced thick

1. For the caramel Put caster, glucose and a little water into a heavy bottom pan and cook until dark
2. Bring cream to boil, add caramel slowly and whisk fast as it will bubble up and simmer for a little bit until emulsified.
3. Whisk in butter then take off the heat and fold in the banana

Vanilla Cream

300ml/10fl oz double cream

15g/½oz icing sugar

½ tsp vanilla paste or 1 vanilla pod

1. Vanilla cream whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla together until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

8 skinless and boneless chicken thighs

250ml buttermilk

2 heaped teaspoons medium curry powder

120g panko breadcrumbs

2 litres vegetable oil

1. Coat the chicken in seasoned plain flour then shake off. place them in a bowl, pour over the buttermilk, add the curry powder and a pinch of sea salt then toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
2. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on to a tray. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk, shake off the excess, then turn in the breadcrumbs, pressing down to make them stick and flatten them a little more. Keep in between parchment paper in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
3. ¼  fill a large sturdy pan with vegetable oil – the oil should be 8cm deep, but never fill your pan more than half full – and place on a medium-high heat. Use a thermometer to tell when it’s ready (180°C), or add a piece of potato and wait until it turns golden – that’s the sign that it’s ready to go. Alternatively use a deep fat fryer if you have one!
4. Carefully lower the chicken into the oil, fry for 8 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, then drain on kitchen paper. Put into oven at 180oc for 5 mins then slice, season and serve
5. Alternatively, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large, cold non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Cook the chicken for 10 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, turning after 6 minutes and drizzling with an extra 2 tablespoons of oil as you turn.
6. Shallow fry the aubergine in a frying pan on both side until golden. You can deep fat fry like the chicken but shallow frying it is better.

The final ingredient is Maple Syrup, add as much or as little as you like!

So there you have it, our perfect pancake recipe along with three delicious toppings which are sure to keep everyone happy.

If you’d like to make this Pancake Day extra special, why not book a virtual cooking lesson with us? We can teach you how to perfect your pancakes and also plenty more toppings! Our lessons are a great way for work teams to stay connected during lockdown so why not book one for you and your colleagues? Contact us today to find out more.