Thin Pancakes Cooked Directly on the Aga Simmering Plate

Recipe adapted from: a pancake recipe by Lucy Young, from the book Aga Easy

Prep Time: 20–30 minutes (including resting)
Cook Time: A few minutes per pancake
Yield: 6–8 thin pancakes, depending on size

I cooked our meal tonight and as it was Pancake Day, I cooked pancakes — adapted from a Lucy Young recipe in the book Aga Easy. This year, instead of using a pan, I cooked them directly on the Aga’s Simmering Plate.

Ingredients

• 100g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• 300ml milk
• A little melted butter or neutral oil for cooking

Equipment

• An Aga range cooker with a Simmering Plate
• An Aga Pizza Paddle for lifting and turning the pancake (an ordinary plastic spatula isn’t suitable for use directly on an Aga hotplate — use a proper heatproof turner)

Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs. Whisk while gradually adding the milk until you have a smooth, thin batter.
2. Leave the batter to rest for at least 10 minutes, or preferably 20–30 minutes if time allows.
3. Raise the lid of the Aga Simmering Plate approximately five minutes before cooking. Make sure the plate is perfectly clean, then lightly grease it if necessary.
4. Pour on a small ladleful of batter and quickly spread it into a thin circle.
5. Cook until bubbles appear, the top begins to set and the pancake releases easily. Turn it using an Aga pizza paddle or other suitable heatproof turner, then cook the second side until lightly browned.

Notes from the Kitchen

I remember that for the last few years I’ve been using a pan rather than putting the mix straight onto the top of the plate, but this year I had a secret weapon — and you could call it a weapon, as I’m sure it could double up as an axe if sharpened up. What am I referring to? The Aga Pizza Paddle. I bought one just before Christmas, much to the disgust of my wife — “spending £40 on that thing” — but do you know, it’s brilliant. Absolutely fabulous for getting pizzas out of the Aga oven, and tonight, fabulous for getting the pancake off the top of the simmering plate and turning it over.

So the pancakes were great — we had a savoury one to start, then a sweet one for afters. But the Aga looked a bit of a mess after I’d finished, which got me thinking: we’ve been cooking on it a lot more than usual lately, and it’s overdue a proper clean. If your own range is looking the same after a busy few months of cooking, that’s exactly the kind of job the OvenGleamers team can take care of for you.