Savoury Pancakes

If you want to be grand about it, you could call these crèpes, and I’m not sure why they are so popular on the Continent and yet ignored here. As a dedicated pancake lover, I find this contrary. Filled pancakes are brilliant for using up leftovers. I make the batter first and then let it stand while I get the fillings ready. You can do it the other way around – batter does not need to stand – but, whatever you do, have a bowl of filling ready before you embark on the frying bit. Instead of standing at the stove making a production line of individual pancakes, I prefer to preheat the oven and make them all in one go: filling, rolling, then lining them up like soldiers in an ovenproof dish. A quick grating of cheese and they can go straight into the oven until the cheese has melted; then everyone can eat at the same time.

• Put the flour, eggs, milk, butter and salt in a bowl and mix with a hand whisk or electric beater until you have a smooth batter with the consistency of thick pouring cream. Leave to stand while you prepare the filling – see the suggestions overleaf.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. To make the pancakes, heat the oil in a 20cm frying pan. When it is shimmering hot, pour all of it out into a mug or bowl. This will leave just the right amount of hot oil coating your pan.
• Use a ladle to pour a little pancake batter into the pan, then lift the pan off the heat, tilting and swirling it so that the batter runs fast right around the pan, completely coating the bottom in a thin layer.
• Cook over a medium heat for 30–60 seconds, until golden and just crisping on the underside. Flip it over and cook the second side, then turn it out on to a plate.
• Fill with a couple of tablespoons of whatever cooked mixture you have ready, roll the pancake up and put it in an ovenproof dish.
• Repeat with the remaining pancake batter and filling, re-oiling the pan when necessary.
• When the dish is full, grate the cheese all over the pancakes and bake for 10–15 minutes, until the filling has heated through and the cheese has melted. Serve with a green salad.
• Recommended savoury filling:
• Bear in mind that if the filling is too liquid, the pancakes will turn into soggy disasters, but if too dry they will be claggy. What you are aiming for is a mixture that holds its shape without being sloppy.
• Chicken and/or ham Used chopped leftover chicken and/or ham with any combination of cooked bacon, mushrooms, peas, broad beans or sweetcorn in a creamy sauce . Scatter parsley, chives or tarragon over the pancakes, once cooked, and serve with Chilli Jam .
• Spinach with ricotta cheese Mix cooked chopped spinach with crumbled ricotta cheese, toasted pine nuts, chopped basil and perhaps some Bottled Dried Tomatoes . You could serve these pancakes with Quick Tomato Sauce .
• Cheese Will generally perk up any cooked vegetables: think broccoli or leeks with a mustardy cheese sauce, or soft goat’s cheese with sweet potato or cauliflower.
• Leftover fish or canned tuna Flake the fish and mix with some sweetcorn and Cheese Sauce . Add a little chopped dill, if you have some.
• Recommended sweet filling:
• You could add a tablespoon of caster sugar to the batter if you really want to sweeten things up. Leave out the cheese from the recipe, of course, and serve immediately rather than baking in the oven.
• Fruit :Use up softening bananas by slicing them into pancakes with a squeeze of honey or a dribble of maple syrup. In fact, almost any ripening fruit can be used up in the same way .
• Nutella spread Spread a thin layer over each pancake, roll up and serve.