There were many memorable moments at Ballymaloe House, but the following is certainly one of them.
“Myrtle, your hair is on fire,” an alarmed guest exclaimed as Myrtle’s fringe went up in flames while she was enthusiastically flambeing crêpes beside their table. The guest jumped out of his chair and damped out the flames with a bunch of napkins and the water jug. Drama in the dining room!
For many years, it was a timeless ritual to serve crêpe Suzette on Shrove Tuesday. Many regular customers from earlier years will remember the matriarch, Myrtle wheeling the famous Ballymaloe House Sweet Trolley into the dining room with her copper chaffing dish, a pile of crêpes, the spirit stove, and a bottle of Cointreau and Grand Marnier. The delicious crepe Suzettes were made to order and Myrtle shared the recipe in the Ballymaloe Cookbook, first published in 1977 and still in print to this day. If you are fortunate to still have a copy of the first edition in hardback, treasure it, it’s a collectors’ item now.
Well here comes Shrove Tuesday once again (February 21), so I’ll share both Myrtle’s and my favourite recipe for pancake batter. I love, love, love pancakes — but doesn’t everyone? Super quick to make and such a brilliant standby, whisked together in minutes with ingredients that pretty much everyone has to hand, eggs, milk, flour, butter, caster sugar, and a lemon for traditionalists. But why stop there, the possibilities for fillings are endless….
Pancake batter is magical stuff, it’s definitely one of my “great convertibles”. Even if you never held a whisk in your hand before, you can make a million variations by just changing the proportion of egg and flour to liquid. White flour can be substituted by buckwheat, chickpea, tapioca, spelt, rice flour... or a mixture. The liquid too can be varied — buttermilk, coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk, even oat milk. Sparkling water or soda water gives an even crisper batter. One can create dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan versions. Half milk half and water result in a lacier crepe. Use less liquid to make a thicker pancake. Buttermilk will produce a stack of fluffy American-style pancakes for breakfast or brunch.
Pikelets and crumpets are all variations on the theme, as are Dutch babies, toad in the holes, Yorkshire pudding, and popovers.
Basic pancakes, as we always called the thin lacy crepes, were my “go-to” recipe when the kids were little. The recipe was written inside the door of the kitchen cupboard and could be whizzed up in seconds while a pan was heating up on the Aga and a little butter softened on the side of the stove. The kids would line up to eat them in turns, hot off the pan slathered with butter, sprinkled with sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.
We were pretty conservative then but now, so much more adventurous, chocolate spread and lots of roasted nuts, peanut butter and honey, homemade lemon curd and mascarpone, honey butter and of course savoury pancakes too.
Top tips for pancakes
- Have your pan hot enough.
- Add a few tablespoons of melted butter to the batter.
- There is no need to grease the pan between crepes.
- Use half milk, half water for lacier pancakes.
So why not plan a Shrove Tuesday pancake party and try some of these recipes.
Myrtle Allen’s Crêpes Suzette from the Ballymaloe Cookbook
recipe by:Darina Allen
Crêpes Suzette, the queen of the pancake family, is a party piece. It cannot be served to too many people at once, so it’s served on the menu at Ballymaloe House around Shrove Tuesday, when oranges are at their best.
Servings
4
Preparation Time
10 mins
Cooking Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Course
Main
Ingredients
50g (2oz) flour
1 tbsp oil
1 organic or free-range egg
1 organic or free-range egg yolk
2 tsp orange curaçao
150ml (5fl oz) milk
Orange Butter
225g (8oz) large ripe oranges
75g (3oz) softened butter
75g (3oz) caster sugar
To Finish
caster sugar
brandy
curaçao
Method
Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre. Pour in the oil, egg, egg yolk and curaçao. With a whisk or wooden spoon, starting in the centre, stir in the egg mixture and gradually bring in the flour. Beat until the batter is covered with bubbles. Leave aside for 30 minutes.
Next make the orange butter. Grate the rind of the oranges very carefully so as not to penetrate the white. Add to the butter and sugar. Cream vigorously until smooth.
Put a frying pan on a high heat. Melt about 15g (1/2oz) orange butter in the pan. When the butter is bubbling, pour in just enough batter to cover the base of the pan thinly, swirling the batter around to get it even.
Loosen the crêpe around the edge, flip over with a spatula, cook for a second or two on the other side. Fold into a fan shape and slide onto a hot plate. Repeat with the remaining pancakes. Sprinkle them with caster sugar.
Return the pancakes to the pan, pour over a little brandy and curaçao. Set alight, keeping your face away from the flames. Tilt the pan and spoon the juices over the pancakes until the flame subsides. Serve immediately on hot plates with lots of softly whipped cream.
Ballymaloe Cookery School Pancake Batter
recipe by:Darina Allen
This pancake recipe is almost as good as those Crêpes Suzette they used to serve with a great flourish in posh restaurants when I was a child. These crêpes are half the bother and can be made for a fraction of the cost.
Servings
12
Preparation Time
60 mins
Cooking Time
5 mins
Total Time
1 hours 5 mins
Course
Main
Ingredients
175g (6oz) white flour, preferably unbleached
a good pinch of salt
1 dessertspoon caster sugar
2 large organic or free-range eggs and 1 or 2 egg yolks
scant 450ml (15fl oz) milk, or for very crisp, light delicate pancakes, milk and water mixed
3-4 dessertspoons melted butter
Method
Sieve the flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the centre and drop in the lightly beaten eggs. With a whisk or wooden spoon, starting in the centre, mix the egg and gradually bring in the flour. Add the liquid slowly and beat until the batter is covered with bubbles. (If they are to be served with sugar and lemon juice, stir in an extra tablespoon of caster sugar and the finely grated rind of half a lemon).
Let the batter stand in a cold place for an hour or so - longer will do no harm. Just before you cook the crêpes stir in 3-4 dessertspoons melted butter. This will make all the difference to the flavour and texture of the crêpes and will make it possible to cook them without greasing the pan each time.
Heat the pan until quite hot. Grease the pan lightly with butter and pour in just enough batter to cover the base of the pan thinly.
See AlsoHam and Cheese Quiche Recipe* A small ladle can also be very useful for this, loosen the crêpes around the edge, flip over with a spatula or thin egg slice, cook for a second or two on the other side, and slide off the pan onto a plate. The crêpes may be stacked on top of each other and peeled apart later. The greasing of the pan is only necessary for the first two or three pancakes.
They will keep in the fridge for several days and freeze perfectly. If they are to be frozen, it’s probably a good idea to put a disc of parchment paper between each for extra safety.
Note: If you have several pans, it is perfectly possible to keep 3 or 4 pans going in rotation. Only necessary if you need to feed the multitudes.
Serve with melted butter, caster sugar or whatever you fancy….
Dutch Babies
recipe by:Darina Allen
I love this version of the famous Dutch baby which I enjoyed at Reynard restaurant in the Wyeth Hotel in Brooklyn.
Servings
4
Preparation Time
5 mins
Cooking Time
20 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Course
Main
Ingredients
3 organic or free-range eggs
175ml (6fl oz) milk
75oz (3oz) all-purpose flour
salt to taste
3/4 tbsps clarified butter
For the topping
4 slices cooked ham or 8 slices of crispy bacon
75-110g (3-4oz) Gruyére cheese, grated
maple syrup (optional)
2 teaspoon thyme leaves
freshly ground pepper
Method
We use a 25.5cm (10 inch) cast iron pan for ours.
Preheat an oven fully to 230°/450°F/Gas Mark 8.
Whisk all the ingredients together for the batter. Melt a scant tablespoon of clarified butter in each of the cast iron pans over a high heat, pour quarter of the batter into the very hot pan. Transfer into the preheated oven, they will bubble up. Reduce temperature to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Add a slice of cooked ham or slices of crispy bacon and a good sprinkle of grated Gruyére cheese. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or until the cheese melts. Slide onto a warm plate.
Drizzle with maple syrup (optional), sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves and a grind of freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
Clarified Butter: Melt 225g (8oz) butter gently in a saucepan or in a Pyrex measure in a low oven 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Allow it to stand for a few minutes, then spoon the crusty white layer of salt particles off the top of the melted butter. Underneath this crust there is clear liquid butter which is called clarified butter. The milky liquid at the bottom can be discarded or used in a white sauce. Clarified butter is excellent for cooking because it can withstand a higher temperature when the salt and milk particles are removed. It will keep covered in a refrigerator for several weeks.
Rachel's Crumpets
recipe by:Darina Allen
Serve warm with butter and jam, apple jelly, lemon curd or chocolate spread. If you wish, wrap the drop scones in a clean tea towel to keep warm while you make the rest.
Servings
12
Preparation Time
10 mins
Cooking Time
15 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Course
Baking
Ingredients
110g (4oz) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
25g (1oz) caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 organic or free-range egg
110ml (4fl oz) whole milk
drop of sunflower oil, for greasing
Method
Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl, add the sugar and salt and stir to mix. Make a well in the centre, crack in the egg and whisk, gradually drawing in the flour from the edge. Add the milk gradually, whisking all the time, to form a smooth batter.
Lightly grease a frying pan and warm it over a moderate heat. Drop 3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan, keeping well apart so they don’t stick together. Cook for about 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface and begin to burst and the drop scones are golden underneath, then flip them over and cook on the other side for a minute or until golden on this side as well.
Remove from the pan and serve warm with butter and jam, apple jelly, lemon curd or chocolate spread. (If you wish, wrap the drop scones in a clean tea towel to keep warm while you make the rest.)
Hot Tips
Food to Share - 10 Great Recipes for Family and Friends at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Tuesday, 11th April 2023
Invite friends and family over for a feast of simple, but sumptuous dishes! We have a treasure trove of tasty ideas that you can use when you want to pull a fun meal together. You will learn how to compose an elegant platter of colourful crudités to whet the appetite, discover a selection of show-stoppingly delicious dips, find out how to make a bubbly casserole to warm the heart, an irresistible tear and share bread and a sweet treat so delicious you'll want to squabble over it. Master the art of stylish presentation and make entertaining easy with our tempting recipes for uncomplicated food that is full of flavour.
For more information , see www.cookingisfun.ie
Date for your diary...Cork Sugarcraft Show and Competition
The Cork Sugarcraft Show and Competition takes place on the 11th and 12th March at the Cork International Hotel – there will be trade stands, demonstrations and workshops.
For more information, see www.corksugarcraft.ie
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