Crisis Cooking with Mrs Simkins

Do you remember the famous Findus Crispy Pancakes from the seventies and eighties? What a treat they were. Axed for years, they were reintroduced a while back but the new recipes and flavours just didn’t taste the same at all.

Admittedly, they are a slight faff to make as you need to make both the pancakes and the filling and then assemble them - and dip each one in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, but they aren’t difficult and if you aren’t one of our fabulous keyworkers, and are home in furlough, it’s quite nice to spend the extra time on something fairly cheap but delicious.

Huge favourites in our house when I was a little girl: occasionally we might try one of the chicken varieties and I think there was a mince beef version, but the cheesy one was the runaway winner.

For a long time my absolute favourite childhood tea was cheesy crispy pancakes, baked beans and potato croquettes. I love that combination still although the grown up me tends to eat them with some lightly dressed salad leaves on the side instead.

Makes 8 pancakes

Pancakes

• 110g plain flour
• 300ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 egg
• Pinch of salt
• Butter and/or oil (melted butter gives the best flavour)

You will need an 18cm non-stick frying pan, a standard soup ladle, greaseproof paper, a pastry brush and a baking tray

Sieve flour into a roomy bowl and make a well.

Crack in egg: incorporate flour with a dinner fork

Gradually add milk: change to a whisk once batter loosens.

Stir in salt.

Stand batter for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Grease pan lightly and heat on medium-high setting.

Once pan is hot, pour in a ladleful of batter and cook each pancake a couple of minutes on each side.

Spread out cooked pancakes on greaseproof paper until needed.

Cheese Filling

40g (around 2 level tablespoons) butter

80g plain flour

¼ teaspoon mustard powder, plus black, white and cayenne pepper to taste

480ml milk

200g grated mature Cheddar cheese

Melt butter in a heavy bottomed pan and stir in flour and spices to make a roux.

Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, over a medium heat.

Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly.

Change to a whisk as the mixture loosens.

Turn up heat, whisking vigorously, until mixture is smooth and thick.

Stir in cheese and set aside to cool.

Crumb Coating and Assembly

2 medium eggs, beaten well

2 generous table spoons of flour

Around 130g golden breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 180C (fan oven) gas mark 6 or equivalent

Brush pancake edges with beaten egg and position 2 dessertspoons of filling in the centre. Fold into a half-moon, pressing edges gently to seal.

Coat each folded pancake in flour, then egg and then breadcrumbs.

Lay on baking tray and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning over for last 5 minutes.