Flippin’ marvellous pancakes

The 5th February is the ultimate freedom pass for all kids to pancake heaven and is the only time when parents can legitimately give into their children’s pleas for pudding. After all pancake day only comes around once a year!

To ensure that your pancakes flip up on the right side of the pan and don’t end up on the ceiling, Danilo Trozzi the resident chef at Filippo Berio has put together some top tips for how to ‘turn out’ the perfect pancake.

The Mixture - Stir the batter with a whisk or fork, just until all the dry ingredients are blended into the mixture. Don’t worry if there are small lumps in the batter, they will disappear during cooking.

Let it be - Let the batter sit for a couple of hours before drizzling onto the griddle or in the frying pan.

Measure ingredients carefully - Batter that is too thin will spread unevenly and results in flat pancakes. Batter that is too thick won’t spread much at all. If you like your pancakes on the thinner side, add a little milk to the batter.

Heating it up - Heat the griddle or frying pan on medium high for 2-3 minutes. Make sure you do this BEFORE adding the oil. This will keep the delicate flavour of your pancakes by not burning the oil.

Grease is the word - For best results, select oil that has a high burning point. For pancake adventurers, try using a mild olive oil such as Filippo Berio’s Mild & Light Olive Oil Spray, which contains all the health benefits of olive oil but with a lighter taste.

The test - Put a few drops of water on the frying pan, if it bounces or steams, it's hot enough. Turn the heat down just a little, to medium or medium-low, so you don't burn the grease.

I shall say this only once - Flip pancakes only once! Repeated flipping will toughen the pancakes. Pancakes are ready to flip when they’re puffed, covered with bubbles and slightly dry around the edges.

Perfect as a sweet or savoury treat for breakfast, lunch or dessert pancakes are one of the most versatile foods in the world. Try making our delicious pancake recipe below and fill it with an assortment of savoury fillings for an exciting family supper.

Preparation time: 5 minutes + standing time
Cooking time: 10-15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
100g plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
200ml milk
Filippo Berio Mild and Light Olive Oil for frying
Lemon juice and caster sugar to serve

Method:
1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl, add the eggs and beat well with a balloon whisk until smooth. Gradually add the milk, whisking all the time until a smooth batter is formed. Leave to stand for at least 10 minutes.
2. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan, add 2-3 tbsp of the batter to the pan, tilting it so that it coats the base of the pan evenly and thinly. Cook for 2 minutes or until the base is golden. Flip or turn over the pancake and cook for a further 1-2mins. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Make a further 7 pancakes in the same way. Serve with lemon juice and caster sugar.

Serving suggestion:
Try frying a chopped onion, then adding chopped streaky bacon and cook until golden. Tip onto your pancakes, grate over some cheddar, and fold the pancakes into triangles and serve. Alternatively fill your pancakes with a selection of ripe tropical fruit & Greek yoghurt.

Filippo Berio Mild & Light Olive Oil Spray (200ml) is available in Sainsbury’s priced £1.89. For more recipe ideas and cookery hints and tips go to the official website Filippoberio.co.uk.