Here in The Butler’s Pantry, we have been counting down the days to the most joyous Tuesday of the year! Pancake Tuesday is upon us and we’re looking forward to piling our plates high with our delicious thin crepes smothered in both sweet and savoury toppings.
The Meaning behind Pancake Tuesday
Shrove Tuesday (as it’s more formally known) falls forty-seven days before Easter and on the day before Lent begins. The beginning of Lent is on Ash Wednesday. Christians traditionally fast during Lent until Easter. The word shrove comes from shrive, meaning to present oneself for confession, penance, and absolution. At Easter, Christians remember the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Tradition has it that in the past, people would need to use up ingredients in their kitchen ahead of the fasting. As eggs, milk, and flour are staples in most kitchens, making pancakes was the perfect way to use them up and enjoy a delicious feast!
How to Make the Perfect Pancake
Our chefs find this classic French recipe gives the perfect result. This recipe yields approximately 12-15 crepes of about 6 inch diameter.
- 125 ml cold milk
- 125 ml water
- 2 eggs
- 90g plain flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar (omit for savoury pancakes)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- In a mixing bowl, whisk milk, water, egg and butter together. In a separate large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar and salt together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients slowly, whisking constantly until everything is incorporated. Ensure that there are no lumps in the batter. The crêpe batter should be just thick enough to coat a spoon. If you find the batter too thick or heavy you can whisk in water, tablespoon by tablespoon.
- Cover the mixing bowl with cling film and place the bowl in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. This allows the flour particles to expand in the liquid which will yield a tender and light crêpe. The batter can be made the day before and kept chilled until ready to use.
- Heat an 8 to 10-inch frying pan over medium heat.
- Brush a thin layer of softened or melted butter on the frying pan. Give the batter a whisk to ensure that there are no lumps and scoop up approximately 60ml of batter using a ladle.
- Hold the frying pan in your dominant hand and pour the crêpe batter into the middle of the pan with another hand, tilting the pan in all directions as you pour (the batter should set almost immediately as you pour in the batter) so that the batter coats the bottom of the frying pan in a thin layer.
- Cook for about 30 seconds until the edges begin to brown, then loosen the crêpe with a spatula and flip to the other side to cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer the cooked crêpe onto a plate. Repeat until all the batter used up.
If all this sounds too much like hard work, drop into your local The Butler’s Pantry shop where you can purchase a single crepe for 60c or 6 crepes with lemon and sugar for €3.50.
We love to experiment with different toppings on our crepes. Why not try some of the delicious combinations below that feature some of the wonderful artisan producers that are available in our shops?
- Ardsallagh goats cheese, toasted walnuts and mixed salad leaves drizzled in Bee Active honey
- O’Neills bacon lardons, mushrooms, onion, garlic, crème fraiche and Kilmora Emmental cheese
- Fiona’s Nutterly Nutritious hazelnut and cocoa butter spread and banana
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice and caster sugar
Have a flipping great Pancake Tuesday!