Pancake Tuesday!

Every year I always look forward to making pancakes at home with my mother; it's a tradition we kept up in our house and when I was young I would eat them until I felt sick! I loved Nutella on them but sometimes my mother would make savoury pancakes filled with rashers and they were always a treat! Below are some recipes from our very own chef Simon, with something for everyone-whether you are a coeliac, a vegan or simply not confident in the kitchen.

Fool Proof Pancakes-approx. 12 pancakes

• 110g/40z plain flour sifted
• Pinch of Salt 
• 2 eggs (free range if possible)
• 200ml milk mixed with 75ml water
• 50g butter
• 1 medium orange zest
• 1 tbsp caster sugar

Step by Step Guide to the Perfect Flipping Pancakes

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs - incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do.

Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, scrape any stray bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, and then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, similar to the consistency of pouring cream.

Now melt the 50g/2oz of butter in a pan, cool slightly, spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a jug and set it aside for cooking. Stir the orange zest and caster sugar into the batter, strain the batter into a clean bowl, cover it and set aside the mix for at least 30 minutes.

Next get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and now dip some kitchen paper in the remaining melted butter and wipe it across your pan.

To start with, do a test pancake to see if you're using the correct amount of bater, which should be approximately 2tbsp of  batter. It's helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the pan in one go.

As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should only take about half a minute or so to cook; you can lift he edge with a palette knife to see if it's taken on a nice golden colour. Flip the pancake over with your palette knife - the other side will only need a few seconds - then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.

Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on a plate resting over a pot of simmering water, to keep them warm while you make the rest.