Shrove Tuesday in England
Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day is directly related
to the date on which Easter falls.
Pancake Day falls in March
THE ORIGINS OF THE FESTIVAL
"Shrove Tuesday" was the day in which
everyone was expected to go to church
to confess their sins and be "shriven" ready
for the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
During the period of Lent the devout were expected
to practice complete abstinence, including
not eating meat, and so frugal housewives,
mindful of the waste of perishable foodstuffs
if they were not eaten before the Lent fasting
commenced, would cook up all the dairy produce
and make pancakes - filling and nourishing, to
fortify their families for the lean days to come.
CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Obviously, the most important aspect of Pancake Day is -
pancakes! These bear little resemblance to pancakes
as we in the States know them, and are more
closely related to French crepes.
Pancakes (English-style)
4 oz (100 g) plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 egg
half pint (300 ml) fresh milk
melted butter or oil for frying
Sift flour and salt into a bowl and break in the egg;
gradually add the milk, beating to form a smooth
batter – this is much easier in a blender or food
processor but do not over-beat. The batter will
improve with standing – cover the bowl and put in
the fridge for half an hour.
Put a small amount of butter or oil in a frying
pan and heat but do not let it burn.
Pour off any excess and pour in a small
amount of pancake batter – tilt the pan
to cover the bottom and make only a thin layer.
Shake the pan and when the pancake moves freely,
toss or turn and cook the other side.
Served traditionally with lemon and sugar,
but equally delicious with golden syrup,
jam, fruit, ice cream or anything which takes your fancy!
Note : the first pancake will be a disaster
– it always is.
Pancake-racing is one of the more unlikely events
on the British sporting calendar and takes
place in many towns and villages each Shrove Tuesday.
The object of the race is to get to the finishing
line first, carrying a frying pan with a (cooked)
pancake in it whilst flipping the pancake a
pre-decided number of times. The skill lies not
so much in the running of the race but in flipping -
and catching - the pancake, which must be
intact when the finishing line is reached.
