What a week! Valentine’s Day falls right after Pancake Day, aka Shrove Tuesday. I’m in two minds: should I blitz you with rose and pink dessert recipes or do a guide to failproof pancakes? I guess it has to be both!
Shrove Tuesday comes first so here’s a quick pancake tutorial. First, do NOT buy the powdered pancake mix, I beseech you. It’s nothing but powdered milk and flour at twice the price of the basic ingredients. I really can’t imagine why anybody would want to buy it instead of mixing their own batter.
It’s not exactly rocket science: eggs, milk, water and flour are all you need, and the proportions are about half a cup (125g) watered-down milk per one egg and 50g flour. Multiply those amounts as needed, because the above will only make 3 decent-sized pancakes.
If you don’t own scales, measure out a cup or small mug of flour, add 2 eggs and beat in the same measuring vessel of milk plus about a quarter of water. Also, buy scales.
Batter doesn’t need to stand or rest, as long as it’s lump-free. Then you just need a nonstick pan and some vegetable oil. Use a cup to pour batter into a red-hot pan with a little oil smeared over the bottom, and a metal spatula to turn the pancakes over. Flipping is overrated.
Whether you have them traditionally with lemon and sugar, or in a savoury version for dinner (sensible), is up to you. You can also expand your repertoire to buckwheat galettes, arguably even better than wheat pancakes.
And after that feast, it’s Valentine’s Day. You might well choose to go out for a date night but I always think it’s much better value to celebrate it with a gorgeous meal at home. There are some super easy and very impressively special options to choose from. Steamed salmon with Asian flavours, served perhaps over creamy fettuccine? Or quick, easy and exquisite pork stroganoff with plain rice and buttered spinach.
Five spice duck on a bed of rice noodles, or mussels in creamy sauce. A perfect fillet steak with broccoli cheese. Camembert en croute for a vegetarian option or bulgur wheat pilaf if it is to be vegan.
And for dessert you could make the dainty heart-shaped Victoria sponge cakes or lemon posset which is my favourite. Happy Valentine!