Pancakes

Shrove Tuesday or ‘pancake day’ is nearly upon us.  Surely you have noticed,

at this time of year every supermarket feels it necessary to create a stand dedicated to all things pancake – including those bloody ‘batter in a box’ creations.

I don't think we eat enough pancakes in this country, the Americans I imagine eat more than us, but their pancakes are a very different thing all together. The French truly understand pancakes and have the sense, unlike us Brits and them over the pond to give them a variety of names.

When in France ‘pancakes’ are the ultimate fast food on the go, with stalls to be found in many markets. For something sweet, a thin crepe, with just a simple sprinkling of sugar or a spreading of jam and then folded into a triangle and served with a small piece of white paper to protect your hands. Or for something savoury and more robust I have always been partial to a galette saucisse, a pancake made with buckwheat flour and wrapped around a sausage

This Tuesday I will be having savoury stuffed pancakes for the main course (the sensible bit), followed by a decadent dessert of  a table covered with every possible sweet topping to mix and match with yet more pancakes until our little hearts are content.

Savoury:

Ham and mushroom (or just mushroom and more mushroom)

Cheese and leeks

Smoked haddock in a cheesy sauce

Spinach and ricotta

Sweet:

jam, apricot or raspberry are the favourites

cooked apples and calvados

banana and chocolate (put whole squares or chips in and the heat will melt them if you fold it over and its hot from the pan)

Lemon and sugar (Tradition dictates I have at least one ‘proper pancake day pancake’)

The lovely fiancé will no doubt go for his usual uber sugar hit of golden syrup and brown sugar

Should you be having pancakes this Tuesday please do have at least one with merely a good squeeze of lemon and some sugar to adorn it, it seems the ‘proper’ thing to do, in the same way that making American style pancakes seems somehow blasphemous. 

The possible fillings and toppings are almost endless but a few of my favourites-