Shrove Tuesday (on the 21st) is a great excuse to round up a bunch of mates and have some messy fun making piles of pancakes and seeing who can flip theirs flawlessly and who proves to be a fantastic flop.
We are huge fans of both the sweet and savoury version (and American pancakes, which take you to
a whole new sweet and savoury realm) and were going to include a classic pancake recipe here until
we discovered that there is no consensus on what constitutes a ‘classic’ – when did people start adding melted butter to the batter? – so we’ve listed some of our favourite fillings below instead, together with links
to recipes from chefs we rate.
But first, the essential equipment: a small frying pan, such as this French-made, non-stick one, part of
our Well Considered range… 
You’ll need a bowl in which to mix your pancake batter – we’ve lots in store and online, including this multicoloured nesting set, made from melamine and including a colander, measuring spoons and the
all-important sieve (we all agreed that sifting – some even said triple sifting – was key to successful pancakes, as was resting the batter for half an hour); an elegant white pouring bowl set, available
in store; and our old-fashioned mixing bowls, also part of our Well Considered range…
An apron is a good idea, while a whisk is non-negotiable; the only question is whether it’s manual, rotary or electric…
A combined squeezer and jug in one for your lemon juice is a neat idea and, should you go off piste and drizzle your American pancake with honey rather than maple syrup, then this little honey bee pot makes
a charming addition to the table.
On to recipes: we think that traditional British pancakes should only be served with lemon juice and sugar – unless they are made with slightly thicker batter (less milk/water) and have sliced bananas added during the cooking process. Divine! Up to you whether you add ice-cream or cream to the finished pancake (but don’t try to toss it).
We’ve also encountered a surprisingly large number of people who smear their pancakes/crèpes with Nutella…
The Americans like bananas in their pancakes, too – and blueberries, of course – but we think the bacon and maple syrup combo is to die for. Advice from our US colleagues: ‘pancake brunches with cheeky Mimosas; New Yorkers love their breakfast cocktails!’
We are also huge fans of savoury galettes and make no apologies for directing you to Nigel Slater’s
recipe for buckwheat galettes from the Guardian in March last year. His are filled with ham and Comté
or Gruyère cheese, we prefer ours Normandy-style, with Camembert and walnuts, cooked with
a dash of Calvados and served with a glass of their wonderful cider.
For retrophiles: Matthew Fort and Raymond Blanc’s Crèpes Suzettes. We also like the sound of
(but haven’t yet tried) Alastair Little’s apple and rosemary pancakes. Meanwhile, we’ll be saving
Simon Hopkinson’s pancakes with parma ham and asparagus for spring.
