So, on Shrove Tuesday, what sort of pancakes will you be eating today?
Call me old fashioned, but I like to keep it simple. That means, a bit of lemon juice and some sugar.
But given we are all about the savoury here in the SK kitchen, it would be remiss of me not to also give you an alternative option too.
So, on the basis I prefer my pancakes on a morning (with a child every day is pancake day in my house), how about my own scrambled eggs and bacon filled pancakes?
I got the idea from having breakfast in the USA. Their pancakes are nearly always served with bacon, the saltiness going so well with the sweetness of the pancake – blueberries ones in particular – and with a bit of maple syrup too. There’s nothing better.
My version uses the traditional British pancake, which is a lot thinner than its American cousin, but the results are still the same. I also use bacon lardons, rather than smoked streaky bacon, as they combine nicely with the eggs.
Ingredients
For the pancakes:
100g plain flour
2 egg
300ml semi-skimmed milk
1 tbsp sunflower oil or vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
pinch salt
For the scrambled eggs and bacon:
4 large, free-range eggs
A large knob of butter
Small pack of bacon lardons
Method
For the pancakes:
1. Put the flour and a pinch of salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a gap in the centre and put in the cracked eggs. Pour in about 50ml milk and 1 tbsp oil. Start whisking from the centre, gradually drawing the flour into the eggs, milk and oil. Once all the flour is incorporated, beat until you have a smooth, thick paste. Add a little more milk if it is too stiff to beat.
2. Add a good splash of milk and whisk to loosen the thick batter. While still whisking, pour in a steady stream of the remaining milk. Continue pouring and whisking until you have a batter that is the consistency of slightly thick single cream.
3. Heat the pan over a moderate heat, then wipe it with oiled kitchen paper. Ladle some batter into the pan, tilting the pan to move the mixture around for a thin and even layer. Leave to cook or about 30 secs. pan is the right temperature, the pancake should turn golden underneath after and will be ready to turn.
4. You can then either turn the pancake over with a fish slice or toss it. Cook the other side for another 30 seconds before turning out onto a warm plate. Repeat this with the rest of the batter.
For the scrambled eggs and bacon:
1. Fry the bacon lardons with a little oil until they are crispy. Drain on a piece of kitchen roll and set aside while you prepare the eggs.
2. In a pan, gently melt the butter, ensuring your swirl it around so the butter coats the side of the pan.
3. Gently whisk the eggs in a bowl and add to the pan as soon as the butter has melted.
4. Cook the eggs on a low heat and leave for the first 10-20 seconds. Then stir with a wooden spoon, lifting and folding it over from the bottom of the pan. Let it sit for another 10 seconds then stir and fold again.
5. Repeat until the eggs are softly set and slightly runny in places, then remove from the heat and leave for a few seconds to finish cooking, adding a bit more butter at the end. They should still be slightly runny.
6. Stir in the bacon lardons, then fill and fold the pancakes.
About Neil Shaefer
Marketing & Communications Executive of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
