Fine art of making the perfect pancake

IT IS a sad fact of life, but the first pancake never works. The problem, generally, is that the pan is not hot enough.

To make a successful pancake, it should be shimmeringly hot.

Butter gives the best flavour, but the pan needs to be so hot that it is bound to go brown.

Use only a tiny coating of butter. Use either unsalted butter or a mix of butter and oil.

Clarify it first, skim off the milky part, and pour the clarified butter into a pot.

While non-stick pans, at first, are an easy way to make successful pancakes ... they just don't last. — Daily Telegraph

Makes six or so, depending on the size of the pan

110g plain flour

1 large egg (or one egg and one egg yolk)

280ml milk, or half milk, half water

2 tbsp melted butter

Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Break in the egg and add about a quarter of the milk, plus a pinch of salt and the extra egg yolk if you're using it.

Whisk the egg and milk together, drawing in the flour until a smooth paste. Add rest of milk/water and melted butter, and whisk until smooth.

If you have time, leave to rest for an hour or overnight in the fridge.

Cooking the pancakes: Heat pan until the air above it shimmers. Brush surface with butter or oil, using a heat-proof pastry brush.

Pour in a ladle of batter, simultaneously tipping the pan so the mixture spreads evenly. It should set immediately. Pour any unset batter back into the bowl.

When the pancake is browned on the bottom and the very edges are beginning to lift away, give the pan a shake to see that the pancake is loose. To toss, hold the pan firmly and jerk it upwards and slightly forward. As the pancake flies into the air, pull the pan back to catch it.