蜜芽传媒

Rich Light French Pancakes

Makes about 10 pancakes in a large frying pan

325ml full fat milk
200ml double cream
Rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon
250g plain flour (or 125g Buckwheat flour and 125g rice flour for Gluten Free)
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional, a great hidden health boost!)
30g castor sugar
Pinch of salt
4 eggs
About 100g butter for frying, cold from the fridge and cut into 1cm cubes

Mix together the milk, cream, orange and lemon rind and leave in the fridge overnight to infuse. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, chia seeds, castor sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the eggs. Begin to mix with a balloon whisk, incorporating the flour little by little. As the mixture gets thick, add half the milk and cream mixture and whisk vigorously until you have a smooth batter, then add the other half of the milk and cream mixture and whisk thorougly, pour the mixture into a large jug.

Leave the batter to rest for half an hour in the fridge, this will ensure that you have a lighter, thinner more uniform pancake structure in the end, as this time allows the gluten to relax and the flour molecules to absorb the liquid.

Heat two or three cubes of butter in a large frying pan until sizzling then hold the frying pan with one hand and as you slowly pour in some of the batter, slowly and constantly tilting the pan so that you end up with the thinnest coating of batter. Return the pan to the heat, turn down to medium and cook until the underside is brown, flip or turn over with a large metal spatula and cook on the other side until brown. Fold the pancake in half, then half again and transfer to a plate. Cool all of the pancakes and put to one side.

For the sauce

Juice of 2 lemons and 4 oranges

1 tablespoon muscovado sugar

4 tablespoons brandy or the juice of one more orange

Wipe the frying pan clean with some kitchen roll. Pour the lemon and orange juice into the frying pan, on a medium heat, add the sugar, and brandy, allow to simmer for 2 minutes or so. Place the pancakes into the pan and reheat them in the sauce, turning them after a couple of minutes so that they all get the chance to absorb some sauce.

Warm some plates and serve the pancakes with a little sauce, some segments of orange or some frozen raspberries and a drizzle of double cream. Chocolate sauce is also very good, see below.

Chocolate Sauce

100g dark chocolate (50%cocoa solids or above)
150ml double cream

Break the chocolate into squares, place into a small saucepan with the cream and heat gently stirring all the time. Add some finely grated orange rind for a chocolate orange sauce.

Happy Pancake day!

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