Sorry Buster, I just have to make a few changes. Having been born
there, and spent most of my life there, and being a True Brit subject
................
English pancakes are very similar to French crepes, and yes, the same
batter as is used for Yorkshire puddings. However, they are never,
traditionally, served with butter, usually just a little sugar and
the juice from a fresh orange. They are probably served with other
additions today, following in the American footsteps? As you say,
they were made to use the fat in the house, immediately prior to
Lent. However, in Yorkshire, where the puddings obviously
originated, historically they were served on Sunday without any beef
at all, just the gravy, ergo saving the 'roast' for meals later in
the week. The Yorkshire people are credited with being frugal, and
this was an example of their frugality. Growing up in Lancashire,
and contemptuous of anything from the 'wrong side' of the Pennines,
we always had our puddings with our Sunday roast, and still
do. However, one change my mother made was to make one very large
pudding, half of which was served with the roast, the second half was
served (still hot) as desert, usually with a fruit 'jam' spread
liberally over it - oh boy - I can almost taste it now/
elizabeth (formerly known as the Lancashire witch - just ask the others)
At 11:19 30/01/2007, b-evans@earthlink.net wrote:
> Jim Johnson wrote: "Well... It took me a while as it is
> pretty obtuse... ShroveTuesday in England has become known as "Pancake
>Day"."
>
>Absolutely correct! Give the man a cigar!
>
>For those Yanks amongst us, English pancakes are FAR different from
>American pancakes. The batter is the same as for Yorkshire Pudding,
>but thinned with milk. Thinly cooked on both sides of the skillet,
>they are covered with heaps of butter, sugar, lemon juice, then
>rolled and cut into small pieces for eating. Yorkshire pudding was
>traditionally served with roast beef, and for the "less affluent",
>the saying at the dinner table was that "the one who eats the most
>Yorkshire pudding gets the most rost beef." It was a good way to
>ensure that people filled up on the pud, thus stretching out the roast beef.
>
>Coming from our English family, our children grew up on both
>Yorkshire pudding and English pancakes, especially when we were destitute".
>Today, they still love both and serve it to their families
>
>Buster Evans.
>
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"A gentleman does not motor about after dark." Joseph Lucas 1920
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