Recipe of the week: American buckwheat pancakes

Served in piles known as “shortstacks”, American pancakes are quite a bit thicker than the crêpes you find in Europe, which means that they soak up the syrup and juice from the berries, say Danny Jack and Hailee Kukura. If you prefer your pancakes thinner, just add a little bit more milk to your batter.

Ingredients: serves 2-3 (about 6 large pancakes)

For the batter

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• 150g buckwheat or plain wholemeal flour
• 2 tsp golden or white caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 small pear or apple, cored and grated (optional)
• 250ml milk, room temperature
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 tbsp butter, for frying

To serve

• 1 tbsp date syrup, honey, maple syrup or sweetener of your choice
• 2-3 tbsp Greek-style yogurt
• 150g blueberries or raspberries

Method

• For the batter, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, grated pear or apple (if using), milk and egg yolks in a mixing bowl with a whisk until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold into the flour mix. Cover and rest this batter for at least 10 minutes.
• Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and grease generously with some of the butter.
• Ladle some of the batter mixture into the centre of the pan and leave to cook, then flip when the pancake begins to bubble in the middle, about 2 minutes. Cook on the second side for 1-2 minutes, until the pancake is light brown on both sides and a little crispy on the edges. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
• Repeat the process, re-greasing the pan with butter as needed and cooking one pancake at a time, keeping the cooked pancakes covered with a clean tea towel until all the pancakes are cooked.
• Divide the pancakes up between your plates, drizzling your sweetener as generously as you like over the top.
• Finish each serving with a dollop of yoghurt and a scattering of berries on top.

Taken from Van Life Cookbook – Resourceful Recipes for Life on the Road: From Small Spaces to the Great Outdoors by Danny Jack and Hailee Kukura, published by Pavilion Books at £14.99. Photography by Holly Farrie. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £11.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk