Happy Pancake Day! Here's my family recipe — and why we make them on Fat Tuesday

Tirion Morris, Arizona Republic
·3 min read
1

Around the world, the day before Ash Wednesday has many names including Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras and Shrove Tuesday.

For me growing up in the United Kingdom, it was simply known as Pancake Day.

This meant it was time for a golden, griddled treat. Unlike the fluffy, thick flapjacks popular in the U.S., British pancakes are similar to French crepes. However, they have more egg and are slightly lighter in color.

Fat Tuesday falls on Feb. 21 this year — which also happens to be National Pancake Day in the U.S.

It marks the chance to celebrate and indulge before the Christian observance of Lent, which can include periods of fasting and the practice of moderation.

I grew up in a nonreligious family but, for a period of my childhood, attended a Christian school where we learned about the holiday. Shrove Tuesday, as it was officially called in the U.K., was named after the act of confessing one's sins and being "shriven" or absolved.

As I sat through the lessons, wearing my itchy forest green tights, mustard yellow polo and gray wool skirt uniform, all I really was focused on was the pancakes we'd have for dinner.

My parents both worked and we had school in the morning, so it was a breakfast-for-dinner kind of holiday. As my mom cooked the pancakes, they would barely hit the plate before they were scoffed down by my sister, my dad or I.

Our dog Bronnie was potentially the biggest fan of the holiday. On the off-chance a pancake stuck to the pan, didn't flip correctly or otherwise ended up broken, she was ready for a snack. She would sit beside my mom by the stovetop and wait patiently for scraps.

Now, living in Arizona, a world apart from the little school I attended, making this recipe makes me feel a little closer to home.

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How to make British Pancakes

The traditional way to serve British pancakes is with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar.
The traditional way to serve British pancakes is with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of sugar.

  • 2 cups milk

  • 2 eggs

  • pinch salt

  • 1½ cups flour

  • butter for the pan

First, place the eggs, milk and salt in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Next, add the flour gradually, about ¼ cup at a time, whisking between each addition. Adding the flour slowly helps to reduce lumps. Whisk until smooth.

Next, heat a non-stick pan or skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is warm, add a touch of butter and wait until it starts to simmer.

Add about ¼ cup of pancake batter to the center of the pan and swirl the pan to evenly coat the base with batter.

Cook for about a minute or until the top of the pancake looks dry. Flip and cook for another minute. The pancake should become golden and look similar to a tortilla.

Continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Depending on the size, this recipe makes roughly 12 pancakes.

How to serve British Pancakes

The traditional way to eat British pancakes is with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of granulated sugar.

I like to add the lemon first so the sugar sticks to the pancake. Then, roll the pancake into a tube.

These pancakes can be enjoyed with a number of toppings including berries and cream, syrup or Nutella, my dad's favorite. Since the batter has no sugar, they also can be served savory, with cheese and ham or spinach.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Recipe: How to make British pancakes, a Shrove Tuesday tradition