Despite having reached 33 years of age, though I often get mistaken for a 44 year old, I still struggle to contain my excitement when it comes to national holidays or celebrations that are predominantly aimed at children.
As I write this I am busily receiving text messages from friends asking what my plans are for tonight, because as a child tonight was one of my favourite days after Christmas and Bonfire Night.
The reason I loved it so much was because today is Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day, a day when the majority of households throughout the UK make pancakes and competitions occur to see who is the biggest ‘tosser’.
Unlike the US, Pancakes really are not eaten much over here, you would rarely find someone eating them unless it was pancake day, and so for most of us it is a real treat. And IHOP to me sounds like a food palace! Then again, one of my favourite places in America is The Cheesecake Factory.
The origins of Shrove Tuesday link to the Christian Calender and that today is the last day before Lent/Ash Wednesday. Because Lent is a 40 day period of abstinence and of fasting, tradition was that all rich foods such as eggs, flour, milk and sugar are used up, and what better foodstuff to create, than a delicious pancake.
I have beautiful memories as a child of getting excited about Dad coming home from work as Mum strictly stipulated that this was the moment on Pancake Day that we were finally allowed to mix up the pancake batter and start tossing pancakes. Squirt on some lemon juice, add some strawberries, throw on some chocolate, or even just leave plain, the choice is yours. I would have competitions with my Mum, Dad and sister to see who could toss the best pancake and how high they could go and then the entire process begins again and I would just keep on eating them until the batter ran out.
So tonight’s plan is this – head to the gym, just so that I can justify eating a few hundred pancakes, then when I am tired of walking round the gym and chatting to everyone then head to a friends house, where we are all set for a tossing competition – strictly of the food variety.
Those aren’t pancakes, they are “Crepes”.
I never knew of such a day. Interesting. That picture looks like a crepe, to me, totally different than a pancake. Love the idea of lemon juice, strawberry, and chocolate!
@Heather and DMBW. These are English Pancakes. They are very different to American Pancakes, which are much thicker and of a different consistency. Our pancakes are very thin and you use a very small amount of batter and then sprinkle what ever additional ingredients once they are cooked.
Whatever the pancake style, tell me you’ve got real New York Maple Syrup to go with it!! :)
What is a tossing competition? Curious minds would like to know.
Craig, I LOVE English pancakes!!! Thanks for posting this and reminding me why I must go back soon! Such lovely traditions like this one…
Craig, can you give us a recipe for English Pancakes?
I too have fond memories of pancake day and grew up eating English pancakes similar to those pictured. Definitely a different consistency than American pancakes.
@ Kerosena: English Pancakes are dead easy to make. It’s best to make your own batter as the pre-mixed batter thends to taste synthetic and never makes as nice as a bit of elbow power whisking up your own.
200g of sifted flour
2 eggs
1 pint of milk
50g of butter
Pinch of salt
Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets a airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs – any sort of whisk or even a fork will do.
Next gradually add small quantities of the milk, still whisking (don’t worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the 50g/2oz of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.
Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you’re using the correct amount of batter.
It’s also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot 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 take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it’s tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate.
With English pancakes we tend to add a sprinkle of sugar, a squirt of lemon juice, sometimes some strawberry jam and chopped banana – DELICIOUS.
We always called them German pancakes because thats how my mom made them(sans bananas). Shes not here to make them for us but I’m going to have a go at it. You inspired me :)
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Those are the same pancakes my mum used to make on Shrove Tuesday when I was growing up. People over here look at you with a blank stare when you mention Shrove Tuesday. Fry-up elicits a similar reaction.
I can’t wait to try the recipe. Maybe tonight for dinner!
YES! Platonic Ideal Pancakes!
I’ll never make my old recipe again. Thanks, Craig!