The Royal Chefs shared their recipe for pancakes to mark Shrove Tuesday on 16 March 2021, but they can be made at any time.

Ingredients

• 125g Plain Flour
• 30g sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 medium eggs (approximately 100g)
• 1½ egg yolks (30g)
• 250ml milk
• 40g butter (or beurre noisette)

Beurre Noisette 

‘Beurre noisette’ (translates as ‘nutty butter’ in French) adds great flavour and keeps the pancakes moist.

Place butter in a pan and cook gently until all the water cooks off and the milk solids separate to the bottom of the pan until it is golden. This will spit gently and, once quietens down, will have turned a nutty brown colour. Set this aside to cool.

Pancake batter

Combine the salt, flour and sugar with the eggs in stages to create a smooth batter. Then add the milk in stages and finally the beurre noisette (butter).

Makes 10.

Ideas For Serving

Classic Lemon and Sugar Pancakes

Once cooked, dust the pancakes with caster sugar before rolling them up and serving them with lemon wedges.

Jam and Cream Pancakes

Whip up some double cream to a spreadable consistency.

Once your pancakes have cooled, spread a layer of your favourite jam, then a layer of whipped cream and fold into quarters. (The Royal Chefs used raspberry jam in the ones pictured below.)

Garnish with fresh berries.

Ham, Leek and Cheese Pancakes

Makes about 4 or 5.

For those who prefer savoury pancakes, follow the same recipe above but add some of your favourite fresh chopped herbs before cooking. The Royal Chefs used chives in this recipe.

Gently heat the milk in a pan to make the cheese sauce whilst in a separate pan melt the butter and whisk in the flour.

Slowly add the milk, whisking continually to avoid lumps. Cooks for about 3 minutes before removing from heat.

Separate one-quarter (¼) of this mixture and set it aside.

Add most of the cheese to the sauce (leaving some to put on top of the pancakes), along with the ham and the leeks. Season with salt and pepper (or cayenne pepper for a kick, if preferred).

Divide the mix into the pancakes and then roll them into cigars.

Place in a buttered dish, then cover the rolled pancakes with the remaining sauce and grated cheese.

Bake at 180℃ on the middle shelf for 15-20 minutes until bubbling and a golden colour.

Serve hot.