Shrove Tuesday pancake recipe saves you money and avoids ultra processed foods

Even if you're not observing Lent, everyone can partake in the customary feast day of Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. I'm going to attempt to give up being silently irate with everything, but I doubt I'll last a day. This year has utterly baffled me it's already the end of February and no pancakes as Shrove Tuesday falls on March 4 this year.

Not that I need an excuse to make pancakes I frequently whip up a batch of batter on Sunday mornings. It's a simple method to incorporate all the nutritious benefits of eggs into a teenager who refuses to eat them, yet remains oblivious to the fact that eggs are one of the three main ingredients in pancakes. Perhaps she'd prefer one of those supermarket plastic shaker pancake makers, which I suspect aren't made with eggs more akin to cement mix.



My Northern Irish grandfather Jonjo McNally, a respected community baker, would be turning in his grave if he saw those bottles of pre-mix being sold on supermarket shelves today. Who is so pressed for time that they can't add flour to a bowl?, reports the Mirror . We all need to prepare more food from scratch rather than consume ultra processed foods (UPFs) that are not only expanding our waistlines but also straining NHS resources.

Here's a thought to chew on: supermarkets rake in more profits than fuel giants. So, ditch the ready meals that fund a superstore CEO's private jet and start whipping up your own scrumptious dishes. You don't need anything fancy just basic skills for good old fashioned home cooking.

Consider this: pre-made pancake mixes sold in stores come in unnecessary plastic bottles for the sake of convenience. While your personal pile of single-use plastics may not cause glaciers to melt, we all have a part to play as the threat of floods looms. By making your own pancakes, you can create a batter in three simple steps with a clear conscience.

The only thing that should be melting is the maple syrup drizzled over your pancakes. Just remember the rule of 1, 2, 3 for perfect crepe-like pancakes. If you're partial to smaller, denser American-style pancakes, simply reduce the milk for a thicker batter.

Start by placing your bowl or jug on weighing scales, zero the scales and add the following ingredients: 1 stands for 100g of plain flour 2 represents two eggs cracked into the flour 3 signifies adding 300ml of milk to the mix You can whisk the mixture manually, use a cake mixer, or like me, use a stick blender until it's lump-free. Traditional wisdom suggests letting the batter rest in the fridge for 20 minutes, but I've found it makes no difference to the final product. I whip up my crepe-style pancakes in a small iron skillet, but any frying pan will do.

The key is maintaining a low to medium heat, ensuring the pancakes cook swiftly without scorching. My preference leans towards lard for cooking pancakes. It's less prone to burning than butter and surprisingly lower in saturated fats, but above all, I favour natural fats over vegetable oils.

In days gone by, lard was the go-to, until food giants swayed public opinion towards cheap vegetable oils, often packaged in single-use plastics. And no, contrary to popular belief, lard doesn't impart a pork fat flavour to everything. Moreover, it's a more sustainable choice compared to plastic bottles of vegetable oil.

I simply peel back the paper on the lard and rub the end onto the hot pan, much like using a scrubbing brush. Then, pour the batter directly from the jug into the pan or ladle a small amount from a bowl, swirling it around to create a thin layer at the bottom. Resist the urge to meddle with it until tiny bubbles appear in the batter and the edges turn lacy, indicating it's time to flip.

If a spatula doesn't slide under easily, they're not ready yet. If you're feeling adventurous, you can toss the pancakes in the pan to flip them, but I've lost too many crepes this way to my eager pug Bozza, who's always on standby at my feet. I keep a batch of them warm in the oven on a wire rack placed on a baking tray while I use up all the batter, then dive into the stack with just lemon and sugar.

That's juice from a quartered real lemon not one of those plastic Jif horrors. I personally blame those for the decline of civilisation. So, savour your Shrove Tuesday delight and remember, making real pancakes is as simple as 1, 2, 3.

The Mirror's Siobhan McNally shares easy chef skills that anyone can master to make cooking from scratch straightforward..