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How To Make Perfect Pancakes For Shrove Tuesday

How To Make Perfect Pancakes For Shrove Tuesday

Video by Tom Compagnoni

Get out the fry pan and your favourite toppings -- it's pancake time.

If you're not familiar with the day, Shrove Tuesday (aka Pancake Tuesday) precedes Ash Wednesday -- the first day of Lent -- and is traditionally celebrated by eating pancakes.

With Shrove Tuesday upon us, what a better way to whet your appetite than with drool worthy pancake porn, thanks to the pancake masters at The Collaroy.

Want to know how to make the perfect pancake?

According to Ben Varela -- head group chef at Public House Management Group -- there are a few tricks to ensure you have the fluffiest, most delicious pancakes.

For thick, pillowy pancakes, add bi-carb to your mixture or use self-raising flour, and whisk your ingredients by hand until a smooth batter forms.

If you're not too keen on white flour, wholemeal or gluten free buckwheat flour are good options.

"You just have to adjust your ratio a little bit with the recipe," Varela told The Huffington Post Australia.

"You should let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes first to let it activate," Varela said.

The next key to perfect pancakes is the heat of your pan.

"It depends as every stove is different, but it's just under full -- three quarters of full tilt," Varela said. "You want to hear the batter when you pour, but you don't want it to be too hot because it will burn straight away."

Is your first pancake always a bit sad and wonky? Don't worry -- it's completely normal.

"Most of the time you sacrifice that first pancake when you're trying to get the right heat and you adjust it from there," Varela said.

You know it's time to flip when there are bubbles around the edges of the pancake, according to Varela.

If you're cooking pancakes for a family (or just want a big ol' stack of pancakes for yourself -- let's be real), Varela suggests popping them in an oven at a low heat -- around 50 degrees Celsius -- to keep those sweet, fluffy pancakes warm.

And toppings. Arguably the single most important part of making pancakes -- whether you like them classic with fruit and maple syrup, or loaded up with every chocolate product in your kitchen.

"We have one that we run on a special which is a peanut butter cream, banana and strawberry jam. And bacon," Varela told HuffPost Australia.

If that hasn't set your heart (and stomach) aflutter, try out the toppings on The Collaroy's signature pancakes -- ricotta, fresh fruit, jam, honeycomb and maple syrup.

The last tip for perfect pancakes?

"You know those maple syrups you buy that are just imitation? Don't use that -- buy proper maple syrup. It's such a different flavour," Varela said.

"There are really good maple syrups coming out now, too, so I think that's going to be a massive thing in Australia," Varela said. "Bourbon barrel-aged maples, vanilla maples, orange maples -- they're really starting to infuse them."

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