Perfect pancakes
It's Pancake Day, so Jon Rotheram joins us to share his simple pancake mix and a couple of sweet fillings to ensure there's plenty of variety to suit everyone on Shrove Tuesday.
Ingredients
For the pancakes
100g plain flour2 eggs300ml or ½ pint semi-skimmed milk1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking
For a topping of poached rhubarb, crème fraîche & toasted almonds
500g rhubarb, cut into batons100g sugar1 orange, juice and zest175g crème fraîche100g toasted almonds, sliced
For a topping of chocolate sauce, peanut butter and banana
200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces150ml double cream30g caster sugar (or a few tbsp of honey)A knob of butterA pinch of salt1 banana, slicedPeanut butter
Method
For the pancakes, put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Crack the eggs into the well, then pour a splash of the milk and whisk from the centre, drawing the flour into the eggs and milk. Beat the mix until smooth and then stir in the remaining milk until you get a creamy consistency, then add in the oil.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and pour a little oil, swirling it around to cover the base of the pan. Pour a ladle of the pancake batter, tilting the pan and swirling the batter to give a thin, even layer. Leave the pancake to colour for less than a minute, then flip it or turn it with a palette knife. Cook for about 30 seconds, and then place in a plate.
For a topping of poached rhubarb, crème fraîche & toasted almonds
Prepare the rhubarb by putting it in an oven tray with the sugar, orange juice and zest, and cook at 160C for 15-20 minutes, or until tender
To serve, pour the rhubarb over the pancakes with a bit of the rhubarb syrup, sprinkle with the almonds and add a spoon of crème fraîche
For a topping of chocolate sauce, peanut butter and banana
Place the chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl. Set over a pan of simmering water (a bain-marie) and allow the chocolate to melt slowly
Add the cream, sugar, butter and salt and combine all ingredients well. Stir into a smooth consistency and remove from the heat when ready.
To serve, place the pancakes on a plate, pour the chocolate sauce over them, then place the sliced banana on top and add a spoon of peanut butter on the side