Forget Valentine’s Day, we’re more excited for Pancake Day! On Tuesday 13th February we get to indulge in a night of batter eating goodness. But what if you’re getting a bit bored of the classic lemon and sugar crepes year after year? Well, these exciting savoury recipes will be sure to surprise your taste buds this Pancake Day...

SPINACH, BACON AND MUSHROOM CREPES

• 1 recipe crepes
• 6 rashers bacon
• 1 knob unsalted butter
• 1 (200g) punnet mushrooms, sliced
• 50g unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons plain flour
• 225ml milk
• 300g frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 175ml chicken stock
• 2 eggs
• 120ml lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Prepare Crepe recipe according to recipe directions. Separate with greaseproof paper and keep warm until ready to serve.

2. Place bacon in a large, deep frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, dice and set aside. Reserve about 1 tablespoon dripping, add a knob of butter, and saute mushrooms.

3. In a separate saucepan, melt 50g butter over medium heat. Whisk in 4 tablespoons flour, stirring constantly, until a smooth paste is formed. Gradually stir in 225ml milk, stirring constantly until a smooth thick sauce is formed. Add bacon, mushrooms, spinach, parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Let cook until somewhat thick, about 10 minutes.

4. In a saucepan, bring stock to the boil. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and lemon juice. Temper eggs and stock together whisking constantly so as to cook, but not to scramble the eggs. Again, add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Fill each crepe with spinach and meat filling, fold over, and top with warm egg lemon sauce.

HORSERADISH PANCAKES WITH SMOKED SALMON & DILL SAUCE

• 150g plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs, separated
• 284ml carton buttermilk
• Knob of butter for frying
• 1 tbsp horseradish sauce
• 200g quality smoked salmon
• Fresh dill sprigs and lemon wedges to serve

• 1 large free-range egg yolk
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• Generous ½ tbsp caster sugar
• 150ml sunflower oil
• Small bunch fresh dill, quite finely chopped
• Juice ½ lemon (optional)

Method

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, sugar and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add the egg yolks and horseradish and stir. Slowly pour in the buttermilk, stirring constantly, to form a smooth, thick batter.

2. To make the dill sauce, put the egg yolk, vinegar, mustard, sugar and a large pinch of salt into a mixing bowl and whisk using an electric mixer until a foam is beginning to form. Slowly pour in the oil in a thin stream, whisking to thicken (it should have the consistency of hollandaise). Once you’ve added all the oil, stir in the dill, then taste and season with lemon juice if you like. Set aside.

3. In a separate large, spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the egg whites using an electric mixer until they form soft, floppy peaks. Using a metal spoon or balloon whisk, gently fold the whites into the pancake batter, starting with a tablespoon, then adding the rest in 2 additions, for a light, fluffy batter.

4. Heat a large frying or crepe pan and lightly grease with butter. Drop small ladlefuls of batter into the hot pan, spaced out, then smooth them down so they’re around 10cm wide and 1cm thick. Cook over a low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes until golden underneath, then flip and repeat until fluffy and cooked through. Keep warm in a low oven while you make the rest, then add your topping and eat straightaway.

5. Stack a few pancakes on top of each other, top with ruffles of smoked salmon and drizzle with some dill sauce. Garnish with more fresh dill, lemon wedges and a good grind of black pepper.

ASPARAGUS & HAM PANCAKES

• 32-40 long, thin asparagus spears (depending on their thickness)
• 8 large, thin slices good quality cooked English Ham
• 30g parmesan, grated

• 110g plain flour, sifted
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 medium free-range egg, plus 1 egg yolk
• 275ml whole milk
• 50g butter, melted
• A little sunflower oil for cooking

• 1 small onion
• 4 cloves
• 600ml milk
• ½ tsp cracked black peppercorns
• 3 bay leaves
• 50g butter
• 35g plain flour
• 50ml double cream
• Freshly grated nutmeg

Method

1. For the pancakes, sift the flour and salt into a liquidiser or the bowl of a food processor. Add the egg, egg yolk, milk and melted butter, then blend together to make a smooth batter the consistency of double cream. (If you don’t have a food processor, put the flour in a bowl, beat the egg and yolk with the milk and melted butter, then stir into the flour in a thin stream until smooth.) Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes or so.

2. For the béchamel, quarter the onion, stud each piece with 1 clove and put in a pan with the milk, peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then take off the heat and set aside for 30 minutes with the batter.

3. After half an hour, put an 18-19cm non-stick frying pan over a medium- high heat. Brush the pan with a little oil, then pour in a small ladleful of the batter (about 3 tbsp – in one go) and quickly swirl it around so it thinly coats the pan. Cook for 1 minute until lightly golden underneath, then turn over and cook for 30 seconds more until marked with light brown spots. Slide the pancake onto a warm plate and repeat with the remaining batter, layering up the pancakes with squares of baking paper between.

4. Cut or snap off the woody ends (and discard) from each asparagus spear. Drop the asparagus into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 3 minutes, then drain and cool under cold water. Dry well on kitchen paper.

5. To finish the béchamel sauce, bring the milk back to the boil, then strain into a jug, discarding the flavourings left in the sieve. Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan, stir in the flour and cook gently for a minute or two without colouring. Gradually stir in the hot milk, bring to the boil and leave to simmer gently over a very low heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it has slightly reduced and thickened. Stir in the cream and season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper (see Debbie’s tip). Keep warm, stirring now and then.

6. Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/ gas 5. Lay each pancake in turn on a work surface and top with a ham slice. Lay 4-5 asparagus spears down the centre, then roll up. Lay the rolled-up pancakes side by side and seam-side down in a lightly buttered ovenproof dish (or dishes). Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the pancakes are golden brown and slightly crisp. Meanwhile, heat the grill to high.

7. Remove the pancakes from the oven and pour the sauce over the pancakes (make sure they’re covered or the edges will burn, but leave the ends of the asparagus uncovered). Sprinkle with the cheese, slide under the grill and cook, in batches if you’ve used several dishes, for 2 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown. Serve.

Recipes by: allrecipes.co.uk