Basic Pancake Batter and good things to serve with it

SHROVE Tuesday reminds us of pancakes, almost the world’s most versatile recipe with a myriad of interpretations.

For many, pancakes were the thin crêpes that our Mam’s rustled up on Shrove Tuesday and we then forgot about for the rest of the year. Made in minutes from a simple batter it’s amazing that they were often just an annual treat.

In our house, however, they were my perennial standby, when I needed to feed tired and grouchy children in a hurry. I’d put the pan on the Aga, shoot a mug of flour into a bowl, add caster sugar and a pinch of salt, crack a few eggs into the centre and whisk in some milk to make a thin batter. I’d melt some butter in a saucepan, grab a lemon and a bowl of caster sugar. By then the pan would be hot so I’d whisk a little melted butter into batter (that stops the batter sticking) and pour in a small ladle of batter into the very hot pan. Within seconds, it would have set on one side, so I’d flip it over when it was speckled and golden a few seconds later. I’d turn it onto a plate, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with caster sugar and squeeze on a little fresh lemon juice. Finally, I’d roll or fold it into a fan shape.