An Acceptable Meal

I normally subscribe to Simply Recipes. It is there to inspire me to make good food – unfortunately my culinary skill extends to cheese on toast, and the budget to similar extents. Laziness is also a factor. This evening, I decided to have a go at something new and exciting. I’m determined that one day I’ll invent something that people will fall over themselves for – a new food that nobody has yet discovered, enough to have Nigella Lawson salivating at the mouth; enough to entice angry student protesters out of hunger strike; enough even to stop war and solve poverty & starvation worldwide.

I have yet to come near that goal. Tonight’s attempt was pretty close though – for all its mad beginnings it turned out to be quite nice. I call it the Acceptable Pancake. Here is the obligatory macro shot:

Crazy Pancake
And here’s the recipe (open to interpretation…):

  • Take about a handful of flour. Put it in a saucepan.
  • Take about the same amount of milk and mix it in.
  • Crack an egg (don’t pummel it into submission like I did) and add it to the mix.
  • Get a bit of margarine – roughly a tablespoon I guess – and add that.
  • Find some suger. About two tablespoons should do.
  • Put some salt in. When you wonder ‘ooh, have I put too much in’ stop there. You have put just enough in.

  • Get your hands in there and mix it all up. Eventually it’ll all mix together and smell vaguely nice. If it’s too liquidy put more flour in. If it’s too doughy put a bit more milk in. It’s just right when you lift your fingers up and it sticks but also drops a bit back into the saucepan.
  • Wash your hands.
  • Get a baking tray, pizza tray, or something similar. Put a bit of marge in it and mix it all around until the base is covered.
  • Pour/scoop/coax the mixture into the tray. Try and spread it out. If you have the mixture just right, it’ll spread out of its own accord.
  • Put it in an oven, 250oC for about 20 minutes. Spend this time gloating to your friends about how well you can cook.
  • Either when the 20 minutes is up, or the smell of burning kitchen is apparent, take the pancake out of the oven.
  • Sprinkle sugar liberally. You might also enjoy golden syrup, which is fine. Lemon is also acceptable.
  • Eat and enjoy.

Crazy Pancake #2