Have an alternative pancake day – savoury, souffle or with whisky
◆ So it’s pancake day but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to reach for the lemon and sugar, says Rosalind Erskine
I’ve always loved pancake day. It’s more as an excuse to treat myself and the household to a decadent breakfast on a Tuesday or, if time isn’t on my side in the morning, as a dessert when we’d normally not bother.
Pancakes were always a treat for us growing up, and usually made, by my mum, on an old flat girdle (griddle) on certain Sundays. These were always flat, crepe style pancakes and eaten with sugar and lemon – my dad’s favourite – or copious amounts of maple syrup.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that while I enjoy these pancakes, my favourite are the more traditional drop scones or Scotch pancakes – the smaller, risen bakes. My go-to recipe is from Nick Nairn’s mother and is an easy to make one, shared years ago in another Scottish newspaper. I also tend to eat them now with plain yoghurt and fruit, especially if they’re for breakfast, or Nutella if they’re a dessert.
But I may now be in the minority, as searches for savoury pancakes are up by more than 130 per cent as we head into Pancake Day. With this in mind Tiktok chef Lagomchef, who has
1.2 million followers, has shared an unusual recipe for Shrove Tuesday – Bolognese crepes. Scott Davies, head chef of The Three Chimneys, on the Isle of Skye, has also shared one of his favourite pancake recipes with us at The Scotsman – Douglas fir pancake, juniper, sea buckthorn and smoked streaky bacon. We also have a recipe for Irn-bru pancakes.
If, like me, you prefer your pancakes sweet, but are searching for more interesting toppings, Walker’s Shortbread recommends zesty lemon infused crêpes, which are drizzled with warm lemon curd – straight from the pan – before being dolloped with whipped cream and a crumble of shortbread.
Or why not add some whisky to the mix? Master of Malt is selling a Sugar Shack Canadian maple whisky liqueur, which can be enjoyed long after Pancake Say. Made with premium maple syrup and Canadian corn whisky, it is sweet and layered and would be at home drizzled on pancakes or used in a maple old fashioned cocktail.
Then, of course, there is the trend of souffle style pancakes, which I think I’d rather buy from Koko House in Glasgow than attempt these at home. Easier recipes than this include hearth Cakes, Scots crumpets and traditional beremeal pancakes (a traditional savoury pancake, made long before Tiktok).
The upshot is you can have your pancakes whatever way you want today, whether it’s in honour of the past and cooked on a girdle or with a glug of whisky-spiked maple syrup.