Sour cream pancakes with Suzette sauce

“So simple yet so sublime,” says Stone. “I love that these ultra-airy pancakes require no whisking of eggwhites to lighten them – the key lies in a very lumpy batter. So whatever you do, don’t overmix it. Serve them hot from the pan, so your family and friends can enjoy them in all their fluffy glory.”

Prep time 10 mins, cook 15 mins

Serves 4 (pictured p103)

235 ml buttermilk

210 gm sour cream

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

210 gm plain flour

110 gm ( 1/2 cup) caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Clarified butter, for frying

Icing sugar and mascarpone, to serve

Suzette sauce

125 ml (½ cup) mandarin juice (from about 4 mandarins)

75 gm caster sugar

2 tbsp Grand Marnier, or other orange liqueur

65 gm unsalted butter, diced

3 mandarins, peeled, pith removed, sliced into rounds, seeds discarded

1 For Suzette sauce, bring juice, sugar and liqueur to a simmer in a large frying pan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add butter a piece at a time, whisking to incorporate between additions. Stir in ¼ tsp sea salt flakes and simmer until thickened to a syrup consistency (4-5 minutes; sauce can be refrigerated at this stage for up to 5 days). Add mandarin slices and keep warm.

2 Whisk buttermilk, sour cream, egg and vanilla in a large bowl to combine. Stir flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ½ tsp sea salt flakes in a separate bowl to combine. Gently fold flour mixture into buttermilk mixture until a lumpy batter forms – for light and fluffy pancakes, it’s crucial that the batter remains lumpy.

3 Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add just enough clarified butter to cover the base, then add ⅓-cupfuls of batter (do not spread batter) and cook, turning once and adjusting heat as needed, until pancakes are puffed and golden brown (2-3 minutes each side). Dust pancakes with icing sugar and serve with Suzette sauce and dollops of mascarpone.