John Torode's blackberry pancakes

He’s taken to the Welsh valleys and caught oysters in East Anglia, and today our resident Masterchef John Torode is exploring Constable Country in Suffolk, the home and inspiration of famed 18th-century painter John Constable.

After admiring the landscape from an artistic point of view, John stops off at a fruit farm to pick local produce for a pancake and fruit cookout.

Blackberry pancakes

Serves: Makes 10 pancakes

Ingredients

350g self-raising flour1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda½ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon granulated sugar100g butter400ml milk200ml buttermilk2 eggs, beaten50ml vegetable oil, for greasing

Method

• In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients, melt the butter and put to one side to cool

• Now add the wet ingredients (except the oil) to the dry ingredients, butter last, and give it a good beat with a whisk. The batter should be smooth and silky and thick. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to allow the bicarb to activate and start to bubble.

• Warm your frying pan over a medium heat. Use a piece of kitchen paper to rub a little oil over the pan, just to grease it.

• Pour a ladle of the batter into the centre of the pan. Now is the time to sprinkle over any flavourings if you are using them (see below).

• Leave the pancake to cook for a minute or so – bubbles will start to form in the batter but if they’re surfacing very quickly the heat might be too high and you need to turn it down – you shouldn’t be smelling any burning!

• When the edges are brown and the bubbles are popping (like the top of a crumpet), turn the pancake over and cook for a minute on the other side

• Continue to cook the pancakes, greasing the pan between each one if necessary, until you have cooked the lot. Make sure you keep a pancake for yourself as they will disappear!

Suggested pancake flavourings: Sprinkle over berries, choc chips or nuts at the point suggested above