The word perfect can be dangerous, especially when related to pancakes. Has anyone ever made a perfect first pancake out of the pan, or is it true that this one is always a dud? Not so, if you follow chef and food writer Beth O’Brien’s recipe for The Perfect Buttermilk Pancakes. O’Brien, known for her forensic recipe testing, which she writes about in these pages and on her Instagram account, has created her own recipe for those distinctive, pillowy, American diner-style pancakes.
“They should be light and fluffy, with a slight golden crust and the perfect buttery vanilla flavour. I like serving mine with a combination of toppings that are sweet, sour and crunchy – for example, berry compote, a dollop of crème fraîche and toasted nuts. They’re also great with salted butter, maple syrup and streaky bacon,” she says.
To achieve the perfect pancakes, this is her top tip: “Manage your heat carefully when frying these. If the pan is too hot, they will cook too quickly on the outside, but be raw in the centre. If the pan is too cool, they will fry too slowly and soak up the butter on the pan, leaving them pale and greasy.”
Always one for a touch of the exotic, Cork-based food entrepreneur Arun Kapil of the Green Saffron spice company, suggests making his version of the Indian malpua pancakes. “Taught to me one Holi whilst visiting my cousin in India, these are a delicious sweet treat for any festive occasion and a great alternative for pancake day,” he says.
“Indian sweets are invariably deep-fried combinations of milk in some form, sugar syrup and nuts; these are happily no exception. However, the addition of spice to the batter helps digestion, and serving them with ice-cream really helps to act as a balance to the spiced sweetness.”
[ Want to avoid the wonky first pancake? Here’s howOpens in new window ]
They are not difficult to make, and have a lovely golden colour and crisp texture on the outside. “This recipe is my take on the North Indian version of the malpua pancake, a drop scone, beignet, doughnut, jalebi-type affair: softly crisp on the outside, pillowy plump on the inner. They are fried, then dipped warm into saffron syrup. Traditionally, they are served with Rabri, cooked cream that takes a good while and a lot of careful attention to make. I like to add a dollop of clotted cream as a simple alternative.”
Caryna Camerino, owner of Camerino Bakery on Capel Street and Camerino Cafe at 37 Merrion Square, likes to make latkes, rather than flour and egg pancakes, to reflect her Jewish heritage. “Latkes are Jewish potato pancakes similar to a rösti or hash browns,” she says. “They are traditionally served at Hanukkah, but you can find them on the menu of Jewish delis any time of year. In my world, Hanukkah always happens with potato latkes, but potato latkes can happen any time.”
They are a family favourite, and her preferred topping is sour cream and snipped chives, but you can also eat them with apple sauce. Camerino’s recipe includes mashed potato as well as grated. “My mother in Montreal is an incredible cook, but for some reason we were served latkes from a box mix. My partner doesn’t share my love of these, so one Hanukkah we held a latke competition to determine what our family traditional recipe would be. It was box mix versus home-made, and my stepchildren were the judges. They declared a tie. And so I created a home-made recipe that honours some of the smooth centre of my favourite latke by incorporating mashed potato.”
Food writer and wellness advocate Holly White has followed a plant-based diet for eight years, and is mindful of the importance of food being fun as well as fuel. Her vegan pancakes with maple fudge pieces are a case in point, relying on almond milk and coconut oil for the pancakes, and Medjool dates, maple syrup and peanut butter for the indulgent topping – with a side of berries, too, for balance.
You can sign up to White’s online vegan cooking club at Holly.ie for monthly online vegan cooking classes, meal planning tools and access to her extensive recipe archive.
Recipe: Beth O’Brien’s Fluffy buttermilk pancakes
Recipe: Arun Kapil’s Indian Malpua pancakes
Recipe: Caryna Camerino’s potato pancakes (latke)
Recipe: Holly White’s vegan pancakes with maple fudge pieces
