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Pancakes
Kids love pancakes. I’m not sure if it is the fun of tossing them dangerously high or the liberal sprinkling of sugar that creates their appeal, but my kids don’t like waiting for Shrove Tuesday to eat a pancake. Stephane is our chief pancake-maker and he needs only one or two attempts to get the consistency and technique right. He calls pancakes by their French name – crepes – and remembers indulging in this popular form of French fast food when he was a boy. Creperies are the French equivalent of burger chains, originally established in Brittany but now covering all of France. Crepes proved so popular because they could satisfy hunger pangs quickly, inexpensively and appetizingly. They can be sweet, savoury, healthy or deliciously naughty…..so why wait until Pancake Day to enjoy this French fast food favourite?
Appetizing lunches for cold February days include pancakes filled with roasted vegetables such as peppers, aubergine, courgette and celery or French Living’s lunch-time pancake filled with béchamel sauce and ham. I like the classic combination of spinach and fried egg but a recent tea-time experiment with Nina and Pierre proved that even with the lure of a pancake, they are not yet convinced of the delights of spinach.
Try a sweet filling of banana and chocolate, or a simple sweet pancake spiced with a dash of rum.
Stephane makes his crepes by blending 250g flour, 500mlmilk, 3 eggs and a pinch of salt in the food processor. He constantly reminds me that the batter must be thin.
“You’ll end up with thick pancakes with big holes in because you can’t swirl it around the pan quickly enough before it sets”
I nod my head to show I understand.
“Not that pan, Louise” he screams, taking down a solid, heavy pan to replace the thin and warped pan I use for everything.
I’ve listened to Stephane’s advice and watched him closely as he adds enough batter to just coat the base of the pan, cooking for 2 minutes, timing the flip to perfection, cooking for 60 seconds more. Et voila, a Gallic crepe served warm, crisp and even. In spite of this expert tuition I am not a confident pancake-maker. Stephane says this is because I only make them once a year. OK, I get the message - a hot pan, thin batter and plenty of practice. I’ll let you know if it works.