Its Shrove Tuesday everyone… get out those frying pans and go flippin’ mental! Its the day to indulge before you begin the arduous willpower test of lent (hopefully some of you are giving up sugar!).

The classic choice on pancake day is sweet – whether its the traditional lemon and sugar or the maple syrup bought annually which gets left at the back of the cupboard for 52 weeks. However I think its time to change things up a bit. I am talking about the controversial savoury pancake.

Now cut the savoury version of the pancake some slack. The French have been consuming this for years, so it must be good. One bonus is you won’t be craving any more straight after the first batch as these monsters are filling! The savoury pancake I have listed below is just one variation of ingredients that I had in the fridge, however combinations are endless, for example:

• Bacon, scrambled egg and mushroom
• Smoked salmon and emmental cheese
• Blue cheese, tomato and caramelised onions
• Chorizo, scrambled eggs and peppers
• Avocado, mature cheddar and tomato

You simply create the basic crepe and then load it up.

Ingredients for Crepes (Serves 2-3)

110g plain flour, sifted

pinch of salt

2 eggs

250ml whole milk

50g melted butter (and added for frying)

Filling (1-2 pancakes)

50g sharp cheddar

100g smoked ham

100g mushrooms fried lightly

Method

1. Put the flour, milk and egg into a bowl and whisk until combined with no lumps.
2. Add in the melted butter and whisk again.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan, and add a knob of butter. Ladle 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan then quickly swirl so that the batter forms a thin pancake covering the base of the pan.
4. After a minute start to loosen the sides of the pancake and then flip it over and and cook for another minute. It should be golden and crispy on both sides.
5. When on the second side simply sprinkle the cheddar, ham and mushrooms into the centre of the pancake (leaving 1cm from the edge). Leave to cook for a further minute, fold and serve! Bon appetit.