It’s Shrove Tuesday when you traditionally use up all of the fats in your house before the start of lent. In much of the world it’s called Mardi Gras, but here in the UK – and elsewhere – it’s pancake day.

The shops prepare by stocking up with sugar and lemons, and packs of so-called pancake mix. In reality these are little more than flour and powdered milk. If you’re lucky you might get a dried egg thrown in for good measure, but you usually have to add yourself. It’s far cheaper, and no more difficult, to make your own at home.

Ingredients
110g of flour
250ml of milk
1 large egg
A little oil or lard

Method
Put the flour into a large bowl and whisk in the milk. Use large actions to get a lot of air into the mixture. Introduce the egg, and keep on whisking until the mixture is smooth and you can’t see any of the powdery flour in it. Now put this to one side and allow it to rest for at least half an hour.

After 30 minutes, heat your oil or lard in a small frying pan (an old one if you have it) and watch for smoke rising from the surface. Being careful, as the pan will be very hot, ladle out just enough mixture to cover the bottom of the pan.

Allow it to cook for a minute, by which point it should have separated from the bottom of the pan. Slide it back and forth by shaking with the handle to make sure it’s loose, and then flip it over by flicking the pan upwards with a snap of the wrist, catching the pancake in the pan again on its way back down. It should have turned over once in the process. Cook this second side for a further 60 seconds, or until golden brown.

Slide out onto a plate and serve rolled up with the topping of your choice. Lemon and sugar are traditional.

The above recipe should make around 8 pancakes in an 8in (20cm) pan.

Got a better topping suggestion? Why not leave it in the comments below.

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