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Running a
food academy and catering
business can mean really long days.
Not that I’m complaining – I love what
I do – but it’s always very important
to start the day with a decent
breakfast.
Perfect American Pancakes
32 x R&A HASLEMERE & VILLAGES
Start your day the Four Gables Way!
with David Gillott
Shrove Tuesday is traditionally the time to make
pancakes to use up sugar, fat, flour and eggs before
the frugality of Lent. Whether you’re planning to give
up some of your favourite foods or just fancy a tasty
treat, pancakes are a real winner with all the family.
This recipe - inspired by the American “Mardi Gras”
celebrations - makes the best pancakes I have tested.
Serve with lashings of maple syrup and melted butter!
Serves 6.
Ingredients:
135g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
130ml milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp melted butter or olive oil, plus extra for cooking
To serve:
Maple syrup
Butter
Sometimes I whizz up a quick smoothie
before the students arrive, but when I
get a day off I do like to rustle up a
treat, and the pancake and French toast
recipes I am sharing with you this
month are perfect for a warming
breakfast, any day of the week.
Method:
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar
into a large bowl. In a separate bowl or jug, lightly
whisk together the milk and egg, then whisk in the
melted butter.
2. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and,
using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter (you
could do this in a food processor). Any lumps will soon
disappear with a little mixing. Let the batter stand for a
few minutes – covered with cling film.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and
add a knob of butter. When it's melted, add a ladle of
batter (or two if your frying pan is big enough to cook
two pancakes at the same time). It will seem very thick
but this is how it should be! Wait until the top of the
pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over with a
large fish slice and cook until both sides are golden
brown and the pancake has risen to about 1cm thick.
4. Repeat until all the batter is used up. You can keep
the pancakes warm in a low oven, but they taste best
fresh from the pan.
5. Serve with real maple syrup and extra butter if you
like.
Brioche French Toast with
Blueberry Compote
This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes – if you
haven’t tried French toast you really must. It is quite an
indulgent treat, but well worth the calories. Using
brioche gives it that extra richness, while the compote
nicely balances the sweetness. A little tip if you have
any unused vanilla pods – split and leave them in a
covered box with some caster sugar and you will have
vanilla-infused sugar.
February 2013