Pancakes: not fluffy or fancy - just the best ones to have on pancake day

I love Shrove Tuesday because I love pancakes and I can cook them, which seems to impress people more than it should. Below is the recipe I use every year, and a few times in between, and some tips on getting them right every time. For example, the first pancake is supposed to be a disaster; it means the rest will turn out perfect. 

The recipe I use these days is from old favourite the Good Housekeeping Cookery Book, first published in 1948. My edition was published in 1998 and was a 21st birthday present. But I've been making pancakes for more than 20 years (and eating them for close to 40), so it's not surprising that the pancake recipe is the most well thumbed page in my very first cookbook, How to Boil an Egg, a gift from my Grandpa in 1993.

I relied on this pancake recipe all through university, and it's exactly the same except the measures are less accurate - 4 tablespoons rather than 125g of flour etc - as we didn't have much equipment even in an all girls college kitchen. Surviving in these bleak conditions does mean that I can now tell when the batter is just right, so well worth the hardship.

As for the toppings, for me nothing beats golden syrup with a squirt of lemon juice and a sprinkling of sugar, but I usually have something different on the first pancake just to check...

Ingredients

(makes 6 medium sized pancakes, or 2 people in our house)

125g plain flour

Pinch of salt

1 egg

300ml milk

Vegetable oil for frying (not olive oil or butter as they don't get hot enough).

Toppings: sugar and lemon, golden syrup, Nutella, banana, nuts, chocolate sauce, ice cream, Greek yogurt, dulce de leche, jam, fruit, cream... whatever you're giving up for Lent (I'm thinking lemon juice?)

Method

1. Mix the flour and salt together, make a well in the centre and crack in the egg.

2. Whisk in the egg then gradually add the milk, whisking continuously until the batter is smooth and lump free. Leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.  

3. Heat two teaspoons of oil in a medium sized non-stick frying pan until very hot. Add a ladle full of batter and quickly swirl the pan to coat the bottom with a thin layer. 

4. After a couple of minutes, start lifting the edges of the pancake with a flat spatula or fish slice, easing it up from the bottom until the underside is browned and the pancake lifts off easily.

5.  Flip the pancake over and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes, or until nicely browned.

NB the first pancake is always a mess! Adjust the heat of the pan and try again, it'll probably be fine. If not try adjusting the thickness of the batter with flour (if too thin) or milk (if too thick). For subsequent pancakes you should only need a teaspoon of oil for each. 

6. Eat the pancakes as soon as you can - I prefer to cook one, eat one so they're hot straight from the pan. Add you filling, roll up into a cigar and enjoy!