Fat Tuesday, Mardi gras, pancake day...call it what you will, it's this week.

Lent is a time of abstinence, of giving things up. Traditionally celebrated as the day before Lent begins, Shrove Tuesday is the last chance to indulge yourself, and to use up the foods that aren't allowed in Lent. I'm not sure who decides what is or not allowed during Lent.

Growing up I thought that Shrove Tuesday was the day when you remember the Jews preparing to go into exile but I can't find any reference to that so I may have made it up.

Anyway, we Brits celebrate Shrove Tuesday by making pancakes. Not the fluffy fat pancakes like Americans have for breakfast but proper thin pancakes.

So...here's my pancake recipe so that we can spread the Pancake day love across the pond.

Start by measuring 200ml of milk and 75ml of water into a large jug. Crack 2 eggs into it and a pinch of salt. Sift 110g of plain flour into the jug and mix well. I use a hand mixer because I'm lazy. Dusband uses a hand whisk cos he's...well, a man.


Once your mix is ready heat your frying pan to a really super hot temperature and then reduce that down to a medium heat. If you're using a tefal pan like we use you won't need any butter or oil but if not you'll need to make sure there's a thin coating to stop the pancakes sticking to the pan.

Using a ladle I dollop one spoonful into the pan and tilt it until the mix is evenly distributed in the pan.



Leave the pancake to cook until it starts to curl up at the edges and then you can try your flipping skills. (Dusband calls them his skillzor).


I can't flip so I use a spatula to turn them over. They cook super quickly on the back so careful you don't over cook.

You can either serve them immediately or layer them up on a plate in a warm oven to keep and eat together.


Serve with chunks of fresh lemon and caster sugar.



I always roll mine up and eat with a fork and a spoon but today I realised that a knife and fork would make more sense so why do I eat them with a spoon? Anyone?!