Gluten Free: Chive Pancakes

While the traditional lemon and sugar topping for a pancake is certainly a wonderful thing (why do we wait for Shrove Tuesday to eat pancakes? We really should eat them more often.), I’m also a big fan of the savoury pancake. Back in my pre-Coeliac days, I used to work around the corner from a brilliant crepe van. This van served the most amazing crepes, filled with just about anything you could think of. A good lunch for me was a chilli and cheese crepe, followed by a Nutella, banana and whipped cream crepe (followed by the least productive afternoon’s work ever). 

I first made this pancake to eat with crispy duck, and I'd highly recommend you give that a go, but the gentle chive flavour lends itself to a whole world of fillings. The Rarebit filling I've given you is just a suggestion (and a seriously quick and easy one at that), the aforementioned chilli and cheese would also be an excellent choice. Do let me know what your filling of choice would be, let’s share the pancake-y love, shall we?

Chive Pancakes (makes 6 pancakes)
You’ll need:

• 100g brown rice flour (or Doves Farm Rice Flour for a lighter pancake)
• a large pinch salt
• 3 eggs
• 125ml milk
• a heaped tbsp chopped chives
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil, to cook

Make it!

1. Put the rice flour and salt in a bowl and mix.
2. Add the eggs and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
3. Still whisking, add the milk.
4. Add the chives and keep on with that whisking until everything is smooth and well mixed.
5. Leave the mixture for at least 30 minutes to let the flour absorb some of the liquid.
6. After resting, heat a little oil in a frying pan (or a crepe pan, if you have one). I use an omelette pan to make mine.
7. Pour in just enough pancake batter to cover the base of the pan. Swirl the pan to make sure you’ve got good coverage.
8. When the edges of the pancake start to crisp up and the pancake comes away easily from the pan, it’s time to flip it. I’m of the fish slice persuasion when it comes to flipping - I don’t trust myself not to chuck the pancake across the kitchen!
9. Add some of your filling over the surface of the pancake to let it heat through while the second side cooks. (See the recipe below for my suggestion.)
10. When the second side is golden brown and your filling is hot, fold the pancake over and serve

Welsh Rarebit Filling (enough for 6 pancakes)
You’ll need:

• 200g cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 egg
• 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard (check the label, some mustard contains wheat flour)
• a generous dash of Henderson’s Relish (or gluten free Worcestershire Sauce)
• a good grinding of black pepper

Make it!

1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. That's it! Now just add a couple of heaped tablespoons to the pancake at step 9 of the recipe.

Sluttishly Simple: Papa D's Super Smashed-Up Spuds

To be perfectly honest I had never stuffed a potato until I met my old man (ooh, Matron!). Sure, I'd feasted upon spicy BBQ chicken wings and gobbled stuffed skins in the heady days of my youth; accompanied by jugs of weaker-than-weak cocktails and surrounded by uncoordinated salsa enthusiasts at what was then a must-be-seen hangout - Old Orleans (oh yes, the truth I tell ya!).

Anyway, now I am well sophisticated and all that, as I say I'd never made them myself.

My mister is (quietly) a little bit of culinary whizz - particularly when it comes to getting newly full-of-attitude pre-pre-teens to eat their dinners. So, when I started hanging about with him, I bore witness to a truly splendid thing. Pappa D's super smashed up spuds.

If you're anything of a cheese/carb/starch glutton (as I am) then you will adore these tasty yumsters.

You'll need (to feed 4 hungry mouths):

• 4 baking potatoes (the larger the better!)
• 1/2 Camembert (one of those that come in a swish french-style box)
• 100g grated cheddar cheese
• 2 rashers of bacon
• Fresh chive
• Salt and pepper

Make it!

• Bake your potatoes as normal in the oven at 190 degrees C for about 30 minutes - they don't have to be quite as cooked as normal as they'll go back in shortly.
• Once they are cooked get them out and let them cool enough to handle (if you're in a rush pop on an oven glove to handle them).
• Whilst you are waiting for them to cool, fry the bacon until it's nice and crispy.
• Once cooled, slice each potato in half using a cold metal kitchen knife (the cold metal helps slightly solidify the potato as you cut it and makes for a neater divide).
• Scoop out the potato from the skin and plonk it all in a nice big bowl - do not discard the skins!
• Chop up the Camembert and chive and add to the potato along with 3/4 of the cheddar, the bacon (finely diced)and a decent sprinkling of salt and pepper.
• Mash, mix and blend the ingredients together with a fork or other suitable mixing implement.
• Using a spoon, divide the potato mix between the skins.
• Top with the remaining cheddar and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
• Serve!