Shrove Tuesday!

My favourite holiday! Is it actually a holiday? Probably not... Either way, it's still a favourite. The day designed to get rid of all those rich ingredients such as flour, eggs & milk (obviously they didn't have Krispy Kremes when Shrove Tuesday started!) in preparation for Lent.

Different from Scotch & American pancakes, the traditional Shrove Tuesday pancake uses plain flour with no raising agents, creating that perfect (& frankly, delicious) flat-as-a-pancake finish. There's also no need for additional ingredients - such as sugar or butter - just the standard eggs, milk & flour. Simple, so easy to make but utterly delicious. And it's all about the toppings with these bad boys.

To make the best possible pancakes, it pays to make your batter in advance. The mixing process of the batter activates the gluten in the flour, causing your batter to have a bit of stretch. By letting the batter rest, you allow the gluten to resettle, making your pancakes less rubbery when cooked - just be sure to give it a quick, gentle mix to re-combine the ingredients before cooking. I often make up my batter the evening before  & pop it in the fridge when I plan pancakes for breakfast! Plus, letting your batter rest also makes for tastier pancakes too.

• 4oz Plain Flour.

• 2 Eggs.

• 250ml Milk.

1. Sift the flour into a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the flour and add the eggs. Using a hand mixer, combine the flour & eggs.
3. Gradually add the milk in small amounts, mixing continuously, until all combined.
4. Leave the batter to rest for an absolute minimum of 20 minutes.
5. Add a little butter to your fry pan and ladle the batter in, tipping the pan from side to side too ensure it's evenly dispersed & covering the entire pan. They don't take long at all to cook. You can tell your pancake it ready to flip when it appears dry on top and slightly crispy around the edges.
6. Flip! Either with a spatula on the Pancake Day way.
7. Providing your pancake has remained in the pan, continue to cook for a further minute or so, until golden on both sides.

Now for the fun part - the topping! The great thing about these pancakes is that you can have them either sweet or savoury. For sweet, you can't beat a good bit of sugar with lashings of lemon juice. And for savoury, how about spinach, mushrooms & bacon, or some cheese & spring onion?