Traditional English Pancakes

You know when someone says 'flat as a pancake'? This is what they're talking about. Light and crispy around the edges, topped with lemon and sugar, there's nothing quite as moreish one of these hot out of the pan. With no leavening agent in the mix, English pancakes are more crepe-like and less fluffy as their American counterparts, but just as delicious.

While the history of the pancake dates back millienia, English versions are recorded as early as the 1400s, and are perhaps best associated in the UK with Shrove Tuesday, or 'Pancake Day'. Traditionally this day was the last chance for Christians to give up rich food such as butter, eggs, sugar and fat before Lent, and what better way than to combine them all together? Now it's estimated that almost 120 million pancakes are devoured in the Britain each Pancake Day. Did I mention there were races?

So what's the rest rule for pancake prep? Plan ahead! If you give your batter some resting time (overnight is best) this will improve the overall texture by relaxing the gluten, hydrating the starch and helping to disperse the air bubbles. Room temperature eggs and milk and keeping a light touch when mixing will also benefit your batter.

For some thin and crispy pancakes, get your pan nice and hot so your batter sizzles when it hits the surface. To see when your pancake is ready to be flipped, look for bubbles that burst and stay hollow. Just to double check, you can also lift up the edge to see if there's a nice, brown edge forming underneath.

These pancakes are traditionally served with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of sugar, but there's no reason why you can't mix and match the way you'd normally do with your regular pancakes. Add some thin slices of banana, lemon zest or cinnamon into the batter and top with fresh berries, maple syrup or a chocolate spread. You can also go down the savoury route with chopped herbs and chilli, a little ham and cheese or smoked salmon and chives - the possibilities are endless.

Oh, and don't forget the golden rule of pancake-making - your first one will always be the worst. So why not take the chance to sample it straight from the pan? You know, for testing.