Waffles, Crepes and Pancakes (17 page)

Smoked Haddock Pancakes

There are several steps to this dish, including cooking the fish and making the sauce, but the end result is very tasty. Use a coil whisk or balloon whisk to mix ‘all-in-one’ sauces – they will always be smooth. Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

Serves 4

8 plain pancakes 18 cm / 7 inches across (
page 16
)

Filling

350 g / 12 oz smoked haddock

300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups milk, plus extra

1 bay leaf

Freshly milled black pepper and salt

2 rashers (strips) streaky bacon

25 g / 1 oz plain flour

25 g / 1 oz butter

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp chopped parsley

3 tbsp peas

1.
Preheat the oven to 190°C, Fan 175°C, 375°F, Gas 5.

2.
Put the haddock into a pan, pour over half of the milk. Add the bay leaf and a little black pepper. Cover, and cook over a gentle heat for 5–8 minutes until the fish starts to flake. Grill (broil) the bacon rashers (strips) until crisp and golden.

3.
Drain the haddock, reserving any liquid. Flake the fish and put into a bowl. Cut the bacon into small pieces and add to the flaked fish.

4.
Measure the reserved liquid and make up to 300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups with extra milk. Pour into a pan and add the flour, butter and mustard. Gently heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Cook for 2–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, peas and, if necessary, season with a little salt and pepper.

5.
Spread the haddock and bacon mixture over the pancakes.

6.
Roll the pancakes over the filling and lift into an ovenproof dish, arranging them in a single layer.

7.
Cover with foil and put into the hot oven. Cook for 30–35 minutes until golden and piping hot.

Parcelled Prawns (Shrimps)

There’s an oriental taste to this filling. It also works well with mixed shellfish, salmon or trout.

Serves 2

4 plain thin pancakes about 18 cm / 7 inches across (
page 16
)

Filling

6 cherry tomatoes

Small handful rocket (arugula) leaves

6 cos lettuce leaves, or other crisp leaves

2 spring onions (scallions)

1 tsp garlic purée

1 tsp light soy sauce

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

Freshly milled salt and black pepper

250g / 9 oz cooked prawns (shrimps)

Topping

2 tsp oil

2 tbsp chopped almonds

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1.
Preheat the oven to 200°C, Fan 185°C, 400°F, Gas 6.

2.
Chop the cherry tomatoes. Finely shred the rocket (arugula) leaves, cos lettuce leaves and spring onions (scallions). Mix all together in a bowl.

3.
In a bowl, spoon the garlic purée, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and a little seasoning. Mix and stir in the cooked prawns (shrimps). If there’s time, cover the prawn (shrimp) mixture and leave for 15 minutes for the flavours to develop.

4.
Put some of the tomato mix in the centre of each pancake and top with a spoonful of the prawn (shrimp) mixture. Fold two opposite sides into the centre and fold the other two sides over to make a parcel. Turn them over, seam-side down, and gently press to neaten the shape.

5.
Lift them onto a baking sheet and brush with a little oil. In a small bowl, mix together the almonds and Parmesan cheese.

6.
Put into the hot oven and cook for 12–18 minutes until piping hot and cooked through. Cover with foil if they brown too much.

Pancake Pizzas

Keep a stash of these yeasted pizzas in the freezer. The topping quantities I’ve given here are for four pizzas. But just increase or decrease the amount to serve ten or just one. Vary the ingredients to suit – in place of the salami, try cooked turkey or chicken.

Serves 4

Pancakes

115 g / 4 oz / 1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

Pinch of salt

1 tsp caster sugar

½ tsp fast-action dried yeast

2 medium eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

300 ml / ½ pint / 1¼ cups milk

Oil or melted butter

Topping for 4 pizzas

1 small red onion

4 cherry tomatoes

Few sprigs of fresh oregano

Small handful of spinach leaves

140 g / 5 oz mozzarella cheese

60 g / 2¼ oz Cheddar cheese

8 pitted black olives

150 ml / ¼ pint / about ⅔ cup passata (sieved tomatoes)

1 tbsp tomato purée

8 salami slices

1 tbsp olive oil

1.
Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the sugar. Stir in the yeast. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs and pour in the oil. With a whisk, gently stir the flour into the eggs, gradually adding enough of the milk to make a smooth batter the consistency of double (heavy) cream. Cover the bowl with oiled clear film (plastic wrap) and leave in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to an hour. Before using, mix the batter and, if too thick, stir in a little milk.

2.
Lightly brush the crêpe maker or a non-stick frying pan with a little oil or melted butter. Preheat the crêpe maker to ‘Medium’, or put the non-stick frying pan over a medium heat.

3.
When hot, pour in and spread sufficient batter to give a pancake measuring about 15 cm / 6 inches across. Cook gently for about 30–45 seconds on one side until the underside is golden brown. Using a flat spatula or palette knife, carefully flip the pancake over and cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Lift out and cook the remaining batter. Use 4 pancakes for this recipe and freeze the rest.

4.
Heat the oven to 190°C, Fan 175°C, 375° F, Gas 5.

5.
Make the pizza topping. Thinly slice the onion and slice the tomatoes. Pull the leaves from the oregano sprigs and, if large, tear the spinach leaves into small pieces.

6.
Tear the mozzarella cheese into small pieces and coarsely grate the Cheddar cheese. Slice the olives. In a small bowl, mix the passata with the tomato purée. Roughly chop the salami.

7.
Put 4 pancakes onto baking sheets. Spread the tomato mixture almost to the edges and scatter the spinach leaves over. Arrange the onion slices, tomato slices and salami on top. Scatter over the oregano leaves, olive slices and mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses. Drizzle with the oil.

8.
Put into the hot oven and cook for 12–15 minutes until the topping is golden brown and cooked through.

Hot Lamb and Tomato Pancake Stack

Serve with green beans or broccoli. The meat sauce freezes well, so double up the recipe for the filling and keep some in reserve.

Serves 4

8 plain pancakes about 18 cm / 7 inches across (
page 16
)

Filling

1 red onion

1 garlic clove

Small bunch of coriander (cilantro)

1 tbsp oil

350 g / 12 oz lean, minced lamb

400 g / 14 oz can chopped tomatoes

3 tsp liquid vegetable stock

1 tsp chilli paste

Pinch sugar

Freshly milled salt and black pepper

70 g / 2½ oz grated Gruyère cheese

1.
Finely chop the red onion and crush the garlic. Pull the coriander (cilantro) leaves from the stalks and finely chop.

2.
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until softened. Stir in the minced lamb and cook for 5 minutes. Tip in the can of tomatoes, crushed garlic, vegetable stock, chilli paste, sugar and half of the chopped coriander (cilantro). Cover the pan and cook for 20–30 minutes until quite thick and cooked through. Halfway through cooking, preheat the oven to 190°C, Fan 175°C, 375°F, Gas 5. Stir in the remaining chopped coriander (cilantro). Season, if necessary, with a little salt and pepper.

3.
Put one pancake into a wide ovenproof dish and spoon over some of the tomato mixture, spreading it almost to the edges. Scatter over a little grated cheese and top with another pancake. Repeat until all the pancakes are used.

4.
Cover the dish with foil and put into the hot oven. If the sauce is used when freshly made and hot, then cook for 20 minutes. If the sauce is cold when used, then cook for 40–45 minutes until piping hot throughout.

5.
Cut into wedges to serve.

Asparagus Pancake Tarts

In place of pastry, I’ve used a thin pancake as the ‘case’ for the filling. Serve with salad and a glass of wine.

Makes 6

6 plain thin pancakes 10 cm / 4 inches across (
page 16
)