Makes 12
4 oz (100g) plain flour
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon melted butter or oil 1/2 pint (300ml) milk
Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the egg into the well, add the melted butter or oil and half the milk. Gradually draw the flour into the liquid by stirring all the time with a wooden spoon until all the flour has been incorporated, then beat well to make a smooth batter. Stir in the remaining milk. Alternatively, heat all ingredients together for 1 minute in a blender or food processor. Pour batter into a jug and leave to stand for about 30 minutes. Stir again before using.
Thoroughly heat, then lightly grease a small heavy-based frying pan or omelette pan. (Use a piece of crumpled absorbent paper that has been dipped in a saucer filled with oil.) Add about 2 tablespoons of batter from the jug and immediately tilt pan so batter evenly coats the base. Brown lightly on one side, then turn and brown second side. Transfer at once, best side down, to a warmed plate. (When pancake is rolled best side will be on the outside.) Cook remaining pancakes in the same way.
To keep pancakeshot (or to reheat), put a soup plate over a pan of simmering water and as each pancake is prepared stack it on the plate. Keep covered with a second plate or, better still, employ an old-fashioned trick by putting a pad of damp muslin over the stack and they won’t get soggy.
Variation Wholemeal pancakes: Use 4 oz (100g) wholemeal flour and 1/2 level teaspoon salt. Cover and leave batter to stand for at least 1 hour before using.
Sprinkle hot pancakes with sugar, then squeeze over lemon juice to sharpen flavour and roll up.
Spread with warm jam black cherry, apricot, strawberry and raspberry preserve are my favourites. Warm the jam with a squeeze of lemon juice. Roll or fold pancakes in thirds, dust with icing sugar and serve with cream or ice cream.
Mashed banana (with lemon juice) folded into whipped cream is delicious. Use 4 bananas with the juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/4 pint (150ml) double cream. Fill pancakes and dust with icing sugar. In summer use mashed strawberries in place of the bananas.
Fill pancakes with hot ratatouille, then dot with butter and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Roll pancakes around cooked asparagus or leeks cut lengthways. Serve with a rich cheese sauce and an extra topping of grated cheese.
Fill with tinned salmon in a cheese sauce with a little chopped onion softened in butter added. Or try tuna in a parsley sauce flavoured with a squeeze of lemon and freshly milled pepper.
Fill pancake with mushrooms cooked in butter and garlic, seasoned with salt and pepper and mixed with a dash of cream then fold in an envelope shape.