Waffles, Crepes and Pancakes (3 page)

2.
Preheat the waffle maker to ‘Medium’ heat.

3.
When at temperature, open the machine and pour a small ladleful of batter into the compartments, taking care not to overfill.

4.
Close the machine and cook for 4–6 minutes until golden brown.

5.
Cook the remaining batter, making about 8–10 waffles in total, and serve warm.

Basic Pancake Recipe

For a sweet version stir in a tablespoon of caster sugar. An equivalent amount of batter can make variable numbers of pancakes, depending on factors such as their size and thickness.

Makes 8–10 pancakes measuring about 10 cm / 4 inches across

115 g / 4 oz / 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

Pinch of salt

2 medium eggs

300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups milk

Oil or melted butter

1.
Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. With a whisk, gently stir the flour into the eggs, gradually adding the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of single (light) cream. If time allows, cover and leave to stand for about 15 minutes.

2.
Lightly brush the crêpe maker or a non-stick frying pan with a little oil or melted butter. Preheat the crêpe maker to ‘Medium’, or put the non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

3.
When hot, pour in a small ladleful of batter and spread or swirl to give a thin layer. Cook gently for about 30–45 seconds on one side until the underside is golden brown. Using a flat spatula or palette knife carefully flip the pancake over and cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Lift out and keep warm.

4.
Cook the remaining batter, making about 8–10 pancakes in total, and serve warm.

2

Quick and Easy Savoury Recipes

A
T ANY TIME OF THE DAY
, for a snack or a quick and easy-to-make light meal, savoury pancakes and waffles are the perfect choice. There are many enticing things you can do with them, using fresh vegetables and herbs, dried spices and other healthy ingredients, to create lots of exciting flavours. These waffles, pancakes, crêpes, galettes and hotcakes need no accompaniment. But if you do fancy something more, just add a little meat or fish, some salad or a helping of beans.

Herb and Yogurt Waffles

Mixed herbs give the waffles lots of flavour, perfect for serving with barbecued fish or shellfish. The number of waffles a recipe makes depends upon the waffle maker – oblong or petal-shaped waffles will be of different sizes.

Serves 4

Small handful of mixed herbs, such as dill, parsley, thyme

115 g / 4 oz / 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 medium eggs

2 tbsp melted butter

150 ml / ¼ pint / ⅔ cup natural yogurt

150 ml / ¼ pint / ⅔ cup milk

1.
Pull the herb leaves from the stalks and very finely chop.

2.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, break in the eggs and pour in the melted butter. With a whisk, gently stir the flour mixture into the eggs, gradually adding the yogurt and enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of double (heavy) cream. Stir in the chopped herbs.

3.
Preheat the waffle maker to ‘Medium’ heat.

4.
When at temperature, open the machine and pour a small ladleful of batter into the compartments, taking care not to overfill.

5.
Close the machine and cook for 4–6 minutes until golden brown.

6.
Cook the remaining batter and serve warm.

Cheese and Ham Breton Crêpes

French crêpes are very thin. There is quite a skill to spreading the batter as thin as it will go. A traditional filling of ham and cheese is perfect with this pancake.

Serves 4

Filling

100 g / 3½ oz Gruyère cheese

6 slices lean cooked ham

Crêpes

55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup buckwheat flour

55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour

Pinch of salt

2 medium eggs

1 tbsp melted butter

300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups milk

Oil or melted butter

1.
Grate the cheese and cut the ham into thin strips.

2.
In a large bowl, mix together the buckwheat flour, plain (all-purpose) flour and salt. Make a well in the centre, break in the eggs and pour in the melted butter. With a whisk, gently stir the flour into the eggs, gradually adding enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of single (light) cream. If time allows, cover and leave to stand for about 15–30 minutes.

3.
Pour the batter into a jug.

4.
Lightly brush the crêpe maker or a non-stick frying pan with a little oil or melted butter. Preheat the crêpe maker to ‘Medium’, or put the non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

5.
When hot, pour a small ladleful of batter and spread or swirl to give a thin layer. Cook gently for about 30–45 seconds on one side until the underside is golden brown. Using a flat spatula or palette knife, carefully flip the crêpe over and cook the second side for about 20 seconds.

6.
Scatter some of the grated cheese and strips of ham over the crêpe. Cook for about 10 seconds for the cheese to begin to melt. Fold the crêpe in half over the filling and serve immediately.

7.
Cook the remaining batter, making about 8 pancakes in total.

Bacon and Parsley Pancakes

Baking powder gives a rise to these pancakes, so they will be a little thicker than, say, the French crêpes. Make them the size you like and serve with lashings of brown sauce or tomato ketchup. Don’t freeze.

Serves 4

6 smoked back bacon rashers (strips)

A few parsley sprigs

115 g / 4 oz / 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 medium eggs

300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups milk

Oil or melted butter

1.
With scissors, trim the rind from the bacon rashers (strips) and cut the bacon into small pieces. Finely chop the parsley sprigs (about 1 tbsp).

2.
Heat a small frying pan, add the bacon pieces and, without adding any fat, cook quickly until just beginning to brown. Lift out of the pan and drain on kitchen paper (paper towels).

3.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add the salt. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. With a whisk, gently stir the flour into the eggs, gradually adding enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of single (light) cream. If time allows, cover and leave to stand for about 15 minutes.

4.
Stir the bacon pieces and chopped parsley into the batter.

5.
Lightly brush the crêpe maker or a non-stick frying pan with a little oil or melted butter. Preheat the crêpe maker to ‘Medium’, or put the non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

6.
When hot, pour a small ladleful of batter and spread or swirl to give a thin layer. Cook gently for about 30–45 seconds on one side until the underside is golden brown. Using a flat spatula or palette knife, carefully flip the pancake over and cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Lift out and keep warm.

7.
Cook the remaining batter, stirring each time to mix the bacon in the batter, making about 8–10 pancakes in total, and serve warm.

Gluten-free Chilli and Walnut Waffles

It’s always useful to have a few gluten-free recipes available. Reduce the chilli for less ‘heat’.

Makes about 8–10 waffles

½ red chilli (see
page 8
)

8 walnut halves

55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup rice flour

55 g / 2 oz / ½ cup gluten-free flour

1 tsp gluten-free baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 medium eggs

2 tbsp melted butter

300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups milk

1.
Remove any stalk and seeds from the chilli and finely chop. Chop the walnuts.

2.
Sift the rice flour, gluten-free flour, gluten-free baking powder and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre, break in the eggs and pour in the melted butter. With a whisk, gently stir the flour mixture into the eggs, gradually adding enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of double (heavy) cream. Stir in the chopped chilli and walnuts.