Ainsley Harriott's foolproof pancake recipe
He’s a pro with a frying pan, and today Ainsley Harriott is showing you how to master yours.
Ainsley helps us have a delicious Pancake Day with his quick and simple recipe, but can he flip them to perfection? We’ll be putting his skills to the test as he joins Phillip and Holly in trying to beat the World Record for the highest pancake flip... a casual 31ft high!
Ingredients
100g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp of caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
300ml whole milk
30g melted butter or 1tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for frying
Method
Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the salt and sugar
Make a well in the centre and pour in the beaten eggs. Gradually whisk in the milk and butter or oil, drawing the flour into the centre until you have smooth batter.
Heat a small non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Brush the pan with a little melted butter or oil and when hot add a ladle of batter, swirling around the pan so that it thinly covers the base. Cook for about 30-40 seconds or until the edge of the pancake begins to brown and the base is slightly golden.
Carefully turn with a spatula or flip the pancake to cook the other side for an additional 30-40 seconds or until it is golden brown. Lift out of the pan onto a plate, set aside and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter.
For the salted caramel sauce with bananas and pecans
Ingredients
200g granulated sugar
85g butter
½ tsp sea salt flakes
125ml single cream
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
Handful of toasted pecans, roughly chopped
Method
Melt the sugar in a small pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon (using a metal one makes the sugar crystallise).
Once the sugar has turned to a rich caramel colour, reduce the heat to low and carefully stir in the butter and salt (be careful because it will bubble up).
Once the butter has melted add the cream and beat together for about 30 seconds until smooth (again, watch out for any splatter). Remove from the heat.
To serve, fold the pancakes in half and then half again to form a triangle. Fill the pocket with banana slices and pecans and drizzle over the salted caramel sauce.