David Eyre’s Pancake
Another reason for purchasing that cast-iron frying pan was for the express purpose of preparing a bewitching recipe from 1966 reprinted recently in the Times Sunday Magazine, David Eyre’s Pancake. They’re a heavenly cross-bred crepe-pancake. I served mine with Swiss blackberry jam. Oh yes. This recipe is exceedingly simple but puffs up all brown-crusted and rich and eggy like you sweated soufflé-levels hardship into it. This one’s a greasy lil’ keeper.
David Eyre’s Pancake
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- juice of half a lemon
- fig or blackberry jam, pear butter or any kind of marmalade, for serving (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 425°. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the flour, milk and nutmeg and lightly beat until blended but still slightly lumpy.
- Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet with a heatproof handle [or your brand new 10 1/4" cast-iron skillet] over medium-high heat. When very hot but not brown, pour in the batter. Bake in the over until the pancake is billowing on the edges and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
- Working quickly, remove the pan from the oven and, using a fine-meshed sieve, sprinkle with the sugar. Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with jam, pear butter or marmalade.