Soda Water Pancakes

 

MUNCH RATING: 4/5

I had almost a whole bottle of soda water leftover as I only used a little bit to make a tempura batter. I wanted to see if I could use it in another recipe and I found a pancake recipe by Larry Moore and under his pancake tips he said to use ½ milk and ½ soda water to make fluffier pancakes.

 

CHANGES TO THE RECIPE:

I actually stuck quite faithfully to the recipe, except that I used both oil and butter to grease the pan as I like the way butter gives the pancakes a nice golden colour and the taste is better. I also reduced the salt. I’ve re-written the recipe to show the cup quantities in metric and for it to make more sense to me!

 

 

TASTE TEST:

Well I thought the pancakes were great and Steve said he liked them too, but he thought they were a bit hard to swallow (I reckon he tried to eat too big of a bite of pancake!). I think these are just as good as the Cheat’s American Pancakes that I’ve made before. As I don’t always have soda water in the fridge, I will try Larry Moore's Basic Pancake Recipe with just milk and see how they turn out.

 

• Makes: 9 pancakes

 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (140g) plain flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt (I only used a ¼ tsp and it was enough)
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ cup (112ml) milk and ½ cup (112ml) soda water [or 1 cup (225ml) milk]
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

Directions:

1. Blend the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl.
2. Blend the egg, milk, soda water and oil in a jug. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients.
3. Whisk together until just incorporated, the batter will be slightly lumpy but that’s ok.
4. Grease a large non-stick frying pan (I used my wok!) with oil and a tiny knob of butter and pour or ladle in pools of the batter to form 8-9cm circles.
5. Cook the pancakes on one side over a medium heat until bubbles form on the surface, then flip them over and cook on the other side for another couple of minutes until golden brown.
6. Serve immediately or keep warm whilst you cook the rest. We like them served with lots of golden syrup.

Tempura batter (for pork, chicken and squid)

MUNCH RATING: 3/5

 

For some reason the original pork/chicken ball batter that I’d previously used and really liked has not produced good results on all the subsequent occasions that I’ve made it. So I decided to try using John Torode’s batter, which is basically a Japanese tempura batter as it contains cold (sparkling) water.

 

CHANGES TO THE RECIPE:

I decided to batter a selection of things: 1 pork chop, 1 chicken breast and 3 pieces of squid. We didn’t cook the squid for as long, so they are the smaller, paler balls in the photo. The pork and chicken were cooked for about 5-6 minutes, turning occasionally.

 

The amount of batter was sufficient for this amount of meat and seafood. However, I ran out of cornflour for dusting the pork, so I just used plain flour instead and it was fine.

 

I got Steve to make the Sweet and Sour sauce from the original recipe we like, as we know it’s a winner! I’ve rewritten the sauce recipe below.

 

TASTE TEST:

Well the pork and chicken balls were lovely as the meat was moist and succulent. I never normally use chicken breast as I find it dry and lacking flavour. So Steve was very surprised when I told him it was breast and not thigh. Unfortunately the squid tasted very fishy, so I suspect that the frozen squid I used has spoiled, either before or after I bought it.

 

The batter was nice and crispy, but it was a little bit greasy. It might be because we didn’t drain them well enough. Or we perhaps didn’t have the oil hot enough when we dropped the battered meat/squid in, so the batter didn’t create a barrier against absorbing more oil. I still thought the batter was really nice, but Steve said it just wasn’t the same as the take-away ones! So as a batter it is very nice, but it doesn’t get as high a Munch Rating as it’s just not spongy enough in the middle for Steve’s liking.

 

So we’re still looking for the perfect recipe. I’m going to look into why the original recipe we liked hasn’t worked since the first time I made it. I think I might have converted the quantities incorrectly when I downsized the recipe.

 

I have also asked my Dad to ask his friends who own a Chinese take-away for their recipe. Hopefully I will learn some insider secrets!

 

I now have almost a whole bottle of soda water to use up. I could make up a nice drink with it, but I’ve found a recipe for pancakes which uses soda water as it apparently makes them really fluffy. So hopefully I’ll get around to experimenting with that recipe before the water goes flat!

 

• Makes: 6-8 pork balls, 6-8 chicken balls, 12-15 squid rings

 

Ingredients:

FOR THE BATTER

• 100ml soda water, chilled
• 100ml cold water
• 140g self-raising flour
• pinch of salt

 

• selection of skinless, boneless meat/seafood, cut into chunks
• 25g cornflour
• sunflower or vegetable oil, for frying

 

Directions:

1. Line a baking tray with kitchen paper and turn on the oven to low.
2. Fill a large pan 1cm deep with oil and heat until shimmering.
3. Mix the soda water and cold water into the self-raising flour with a little salt (but don’t overmix as it’s OK to have lumps in tempura batter to keep it light)
4. Tip the cornflour onto a plate and dust the chicken/pork/squid with cornflour shaking off the excess, then dip into the batter. One at a time, lower into the hot oil (about 5-6 every batch). Turn up the heat to keep the meat frying, if needed, and cook for 5-6 mins, turning once.
5. When cooked, drain on the tray, and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining meat. Stack onto a plate with the warm sauce on the side.

 

FOR THE sweet and sour SAUCE:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) tomato ketchup
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup (60ml) white vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• 1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
• 1/4 cup (45g) brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tablespoon corn flour
• 1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) cold water

 

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan combine the first 6 ingredients and bring to a boil whisking constantly.
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer stirring for 2 minutes.
3. In a small cup dissolve the corn flour in the cold water until smooth, then add to the simmering sauce stirring constantly.
4. Cook for another 3 minutes stirring until bubbly and thickened.
5. I served this at room temperature. You can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for probably about a week or you could freeze it.

Yorkshire Puddings

 

MUNCH RATING: 5/5

 

I’m not a fan of Yorkshire Puddings and I choose not to eat them when we have a Sunday roast. But Steve’s Mum and sister were having problems with theirs not rising very well, so I decided it was time to take up the challenge of making them. Plus Steve loves them so it would be a great thing if I could get them right.

 

As always, the first place I turn to for a decent recipe is BBC Good Food and here I used Barney Desmazery’s recipe. I love the simplicity of the recipe in that it uses equal quantities of flour, eggs and milk by volume. Barney says there is no need to let the batter ‘stand’ or ‘rest’ so I just made the batter and the only resting time I gave it was the 10 minutes I waited for the oil to heat up in the oven.

 

CHANGES TO THE RECIPE:

Now I followed Barney’s recipe pretty faithfully, except that I used my silicone 6-hole muffin tin. Well it used to have 6 usable holes, but one of them split (from me putting it in the freezer to freeze egg whites/yolks) so I only put oil in 5 of the holes. But when it came to pouring the batter into the holes, in my haste I forgot about the one with the split/no oil and poured some batter in it. This one didn’t rise half as much as the others, but it was still extremely edible according to Steve! It just goes to show that you definitely need oil to cook Yorkshires!

 

Anyway, I was so pleased with how the others turned out! I actually really enjoyed eating them, as they were lovely and crispy on top and not stodgy at all.

 

 

OLD HABITS DIE HARD:

When Steve’s Mum saw them she was really impressed, but then she asked me what recipe I used and she balked at the idea of using 4 eggs! She uses a recipe that only uses 1 egg, so she was adamant that the great results I got must be due to the silicone tin I used. She normally uses a metal bun tin, so she said next time she will try her recipe using my silicone tin. She was also surprised I only let the oil heat up for 10 minutes, as she heats it for about 30 minutes and the batter still doesn’t sizzle! (I forgot to mention that before adding the oil I did put my silicone tin on a metal tray and I put it in the oven for about 5 minutes because it was wet and I wanted to dry it, so this extra heating time could have made a difference).

She also cooks her Yorkshires at a lower temperature, so I think she will try it at a higher temperature to get the rise right. I’ll let you know the results of the experiment!

 

Update: Steve’s Mum has made Yorkshires twice using her original recipe and my silicone tins, but she has exactly the same result as when she uses her metal tins. So I think it’s definitely the recipe that she needs to change, but she’s very set in her ways and has decided to just go back to using her metal tins and not change her recipe! I am going to make these Yorkshires again to try and convince her that she needs more eggs in her recipe!

 

• Makes: between 8-10 if using a muffin tin
• Oven temperature: Gas mark 8/450°F/230°C
• Oven shelf: top
• Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

 

Ingredients:

• 140g plain flour (this is about 200ml/7fl oz)
• 4 eggs (200ml/7fl oz)
• 200ml milk
• sunflower oil, for cooking

 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Drizzle a little oil evenly into 2 x 4-hole Yorkshire pudding tins or a 12-hole non-stick muffin tin and place in the oven to heat through.
2. To make the batter, tip the flour into a bowl and beat in the eggs until smooth. Gradually add the milk and carry on beating until the mix is completely lump-free. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the batter into a jug, then remove the hot tins from the oven. Carefully and evenly pour the batter into the holes. Place the tins back in the oven and leave undisturbed for 20-25 mins until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Serve immediately. You can now cool them and freeze for up to 1 month.

 

COOK’S NOTES:

• I used 4 large eggs, but I think I could have got away with 3 large eggs as the volume was a bit over 200ml (I have used 3 eggs and successfully made Toad in the hole with this batter).
• I used about 1 teaspoon of oil per hole in the tin.
• I let the oil heat up for 10 minutes and the batter did sizzle, but 15-20 minutes would be better.
• I filled each hole about half full with batter.
• The Yorkshires did start to burn on top after 20 minutes but still looked a little bit underdone towards the bottom, so I moved them to the lower part of the oven and cooked for another 5 minutes.
• I made 6 Yorkshires and with the rest of the batter I added some melted butter and made 4 pancakes (as per Barney’s pancake recipe). I stacked them on a plate with non-stick baking paper between each one, then wrapped in cling film and refrigerated overnight. I will fill these with a spicy pork filling.

Toad in the hole

FIRST ATTEMPT - MUNCH RATING: 3/5

I’ve never been a fan of toad in the hole, as I don’t really like that kind of batter, hence why I don’t like Yorkshire Puddings either. But Steve likes it so I thought I’d treat him to a British classic!

I used the recipe on the BBC Good Food website. I only used 4 sausages as I was only cooking for 2 people, but I made up the whole amount of batter as per the recipe as Steve loves the batter. But he likes it stodgy, so I used a smaller dish than the recipe called for so it would be thicker. This was a big mistake as it was all soggy and undercooked at the bottom and it was pretty inedible. The top part was lovely and crispy though and even I enjoyed eating it, so I would make this recipe again as it was really easy, but next time I will use the correct size dish (see below).

For the onion gravy that goes with it, I used 3 leeks instead as I had them in the fridge and it was still pretty tasty.

• Serves: 4
• Oven temperature: Gas mark 7/425°F/220°C
• You will need: a 20cm x 30cm shallow roasting tin

Ingredients:

• 100g plain flour
• ½ tsp English mustard powder (I used Dijon mustard instead)
• 1 egg
• 300ml milk
• 3 thyme sprigs, leaves only (I left this out as I used Cumberland sausages)
• 8 plain pork sausages (use 2 per person)
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 tsp soft brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon plain flour
• 500ml beef stock

Directions:

1. Make the batter: Heat oven to Gas mark 7/425°F/220°C. Tip flour into the large mixing bowl and stir in the mustard powder with a good pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre, crack in the egg, then pour in a dribble of milk. Stir with a wooden spoon, gradually incorporating some of the flour, until you have a smooth batter in the well. Now add a bit more milk and continue stirring until all the milk and flour has been mixed together.
2. The batter is ready: You should now have a smooth, lump-free batter that is the consistency of double cream. Tip it back into the jug you measured your milk in, for easier pouring later on, then stir in the thyme. Use scissors to snip the links between your sausages, then drop them into a 20 x 30cm roasting tin. Add 1 tbsp of the oil, tossing the sausages in it to thoroughly coat the base of the tin, then roast in the oven for 15 mins (mine took more like 25 mins to cook!).
3. Cook the batter: Take the hot tray from the oven, then quickly pour in the batter - it should sizzle and bubble a little when it first hits the hot fat. Put it back into the oven, then bake for 40 mins until the batter is cooked through, well risen and crisp. If you poke the tip of a knife into the batter in the middle of the tray it should be set, not sticky or runny.
4. Make the gravy: Soften the onions with the remaining oil in a large nonstick frying pan for about 20 mins, stirring often, until they are golden brown. Sprinkle in the sugar for the final 5 mins. Add the spoonful of flour, then cook, constantly stirring, for 2 mins, so it coats the onions and there is no dry flour left. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring well to make a smooth sauce. Bubble for 4-5 mins to thicken, then season. Cut the toad in the hole into large wedges and serve with the gravy spooned over. 

SECOND ATTEMPT  – MUNCH RATING: 4/5

This is my second attempt and it worked much better. I used the correct sized dish so the batter was a lot more crispy and less stodgy, however there were still some soggy bits which Steve happily ate! I actually really enjoyed eating this, so it will become one of my staple recipes.

However, I used a ceramic dish as we didn’t have a roasting tin that was the right size. Quite a lot got stuck to the bottom of the dish. A roasting tin would give a much better result as it would conduct the heat much better, so I might have to buy one just for Toad in the hole! Actually, I think my Swiss roll tin might be the right size, if a little shallow, but it’s worth a try!

Oh and I made the gravy with onions and it was SO much nicer! The onions caramelized and were so much sweeter than the leeks.

Cheat’s American Pancakes

MUNCH RATING: 5/5

Traditional American Pancakes are made with buttermilk (see recipe here) but I rarely have that in the fridge! These Cheat’s pancakes contain all the ingredients that you would normally have to make cakes, so can be whipped up whenever you fancy them!

• Makes: 10 – 12 pancakes
• You will need: large mixing bowl, small mixing bowl, large non-stick frying pan 

Ingredients:

• 200g / 7oz self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 25g / 1oz caster sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 300ml / ½ pint milk
• 25g / 1oz butter (melt this in the frying pan)
• sunflower oil or a little butter for cooking
• golden or maple syrup to serve 

Directions:

1. Mix together the flour, baking powder, the salt and sugar in a large bowl.
2. Mix the egg and melted butter with the milk.
3. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and gently mix in the wet ingredients until you have a thick batter. - Do not overmix, the batter should have small to medium lumps!
4. Let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes, this will result in lighter, fluffier pancakes. I normally pour the batter into a measuring jug to make it easier to pour dollops of the batter into the frying pan.
5. The frying pan should have enough grease from when you melted the butter, so you can start cooking your pancakes. Drop a large tablespoonful of the batter per pancake into the pan to make pancakes about 7.5cm across. Make three or four pancakes at a time. Cook for about 3 minutes over a medium heat until small bubbles appear on the surface of each pancake, then turn and cook another 2-3 minutes until golden.
6. Cover with kitchen paper to keep warm while you use up the rest of the batter.
7. Serve with golden or maple syrup. 

COOK’S NOTES:

• You can keep any leftover batter covered in the fridge and it will be absolutely fine to use the next day.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

My friend Lindsey told me about these Buttermilk Pancakes by Martha Stewart and they are really light and fluffy and very easy to make. I've halved her recipe as it makes 9 huge pancakes!
I suggested she serve them with the Blueberry Syrup by Nigella Lawson and she said it was really good so I decided to try it out myself and they are an excellent combination!

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES:

The key to fluffy pancakes is not to overmix the batter; it should not be beaten smooth.

Makes 4-5 6-inch pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup (125g/4.oz) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1.5 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1.5 cups (350ml/12 fl.oz) buttermilk (look in the cream section in the supermarket or make your own - see below)
2 tablespoons unsalted melted butter, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle/frying pan

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl.
   
2. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, buttermilk, and the 2 tablespoons of butter.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir gently to combine. Do not overmix, the batter should have small to medium lumps.
   
4. Let the mixture rest for about 10 minutes, this will result in lighter, fluffier pancakes (use this time to make the Blueberry syrup!)
   
5. Heat your griddle or frying pan to medium-low and test by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush/piece of kitchen towel, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
6. Using a 4-ounce ladle (about 1/2 cup) pour in pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2.5 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
7. Repeat with remaining batter and serve warm.

BLUEBERRY SYRUP:

Put 1 cup (about 150g/5oz) washed Blueberries and 125ml (about 8 Tbsp) Maple Syrup in a small saucepan and simmer for about 5 mins until blueberries have softened and you have a nice syrupy consistency.

No Maple Syrup?! Don't worry, you can still make this delicious syrup by simmering 1 cup water and 1/2 cup white sugar in a small pan for a couple of minutes until you have got a slight syrup. Then add your cup of Blueberries and simmer gently as above.

TIPS AND TRICKS:
No Buttermilk?! Then you can make your own with normal milk and lemon juice. Just mix 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes. The resulting mixture won't be as thick as buttermilk so you will only need 1 cup.

No Lemon?! Then use 1 cup normal milk (preferably whole/full fat), omit the baking soda (as there is no acid for it to react to) and increase the amount of baking powder to 1.5 teaspoons.

Alternatively, make my Cheat's American Pancakes which are equally delicious!