Ultra-fluffy pancakes are lemony twist on diner classic

The Palace Diner first went into service in the town of Biddeford, Maine, in 1927 and has been serving breakfast and lunch ever since.

When co-owners Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell took over the Palace Diner in 2014, the diner became known for its breakfast menu, especially the flapjacks. “There are a few things that make the recipe unique,” Conley said. “One is the addition of lemon zest for flavor and aroma. Another is the addition of lemon juice, which adds to that flavor and aroma, but, more importantly, the acidity reacts with the baking soda to create extra lift. That helps to make them super fluffy.”

Whether they’re serving fluffy flapjacks, gooey tuna melts or creamy milkshakes, diners are a piece of American culinary history. For Conley, a diner is a “fundamentally American restaurant serving fundamentally American cuisine … heartwarming, cozy comfort food. And part of what’s enjoyable about diner food is that everyone enters the door knowing that’s what they’re getting.”

PALACE DINER LEMONBUTTERMILK FLAPJACKS

Makes: 4 servings

1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 ⅓ cups buttermilk

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

½ to 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 4 teaspoons juice, zested and squeezed from 1 lemon

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

½ teaspoon vegetable oil

1 . In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2 . In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg and egg yolk, and lemon zest and juice until combined. Add melted butter and whisk until well-combined. 3 . Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to stir gently until just combined. (Batter should remain lumpy — do not overmix.) Let batter sit for 1 0 minutes.

4 . Meanwhile, add oil to a large stovetop griddle or electric griddle. Use a paper towel to spread oil into a thin, even coating over surface of griddle. For a stovetop griddle, place it over 2 burners and heat over low heat for at least 5 minutes. For an electric griddle, heat to 3 5 0 degrees.

5 . When batter is ready, if using stovetop griddle, increase heat to medium and heat for 1 more minute.

6 . Use a ⅓ -cup dry measuring cup to scoop ⅓ cup of batter onto griddle. Use a rubber spatula to scrape batter from the cup and spread into a 5 -inch circle. Repeat three more times, leaving space between the mounds of batter.

7 . Cook until the edges are set and the first side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spatula to flip flapjacks and cook until the second side is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. (If you’re using a stovetop griddle, set over two burners on your stove; one side of your griddle may cook faster than the other.)

8. Use a spatula to transfer pancakes to plates. Repeat portioning and cooking with remaining batter. Serve. Note: If you don’t have a griddle, you can cook these flapjacks in a 1 2 -inch nonstick skillet. Cook them in batches over medium heat, two at a time for medium-size flapjacks or one at a time for large-size ones.