Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Lent is 40 days leading up to Easter, it was traditionally a time of fasting and using up eggs and fats before embarking on the fasting. Pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients.
So what is a pancake?
A pancake is a thin, flat cake, made of batter and fried in a frying pan. A traditional English pancake is very thin and is served straight from the frying pan.
lemon juice and caster sugar are the usual toppings for pancakes. But Golden syrup can also be used. Other toppings could be strawberries, blueberries, cinnamon, ice cream and chocolate sauce, banana and maple syrup, Either way pancakes are so simple and are amazing.
You could also try a savoury pancake. Mince beef, sauté garlic mushrooms or spinach and feta. Again whatever you choose you will not be disappointed.
What’s the history?
The pancake has a very long history and featured in cooking books as far back as 1439.
Recipe 🥞
To make 10 pancakes you will need
• 8oz plain flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 pint milk
• pinch of salt.
Method
• Mix all together and whisk well.
• Leave to stand for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat a little oil in a frying pan
• pour in enough batter to cover the base of the pan and let it cook until the base of the pancake has browned.
• Then shake the pan to loosen the pancake and flip the pancake over to brown the other side
UK Pancake traditions..
A pancake race
In the UK, pancake races form an important part of the Shrove Tuesday celebrations. an opportunity for large numbers of people, often in fancy dress, to race down streets tossing pancakes.
The object of the race is to get to the finishing line first, carrying a frying pan with a cooked pancake in it and flipping the pancake as you run.
The most famous pancake race takes place at Olney in Buckinghamshire, in 1445 a woman of Olney heard the church bell while she was making pancakes and ran to the church in her apron, still clutching her frying pan. The Olney pancake race is now world famous. 👍
Facts about pancakes..
• The most expensive in the UK cost £800 per portion. It consists of Lobster, caviar, truffles and champagne
• Measuring over 49 feet in diameter and weighing 6614 pounds, the biggest pancake in the world was made. in order to qualify for the record, the giant pancake had to be flipped and be edible.
• On Pancake Day in Britain it is estimated that 52 million eggs are consumed
What ever way you like your pancakes have a flipping good day and happy cooking!! 🥞
Made By M.E 