Pancakes are my love language
...celebrating Chinese New Year on Pancake Day
Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, might have something to say about this, but pancakes are my love language for my kids. There’s a reason for it: from all the things I cook for them, it’s the only one that is audibly appreciated. This is a big deal, because more often than not, my cooking goes uncommented on. I know I sound needy, but it feels a bit transparent, like air or water.
With pancakes, the kids are happy to speak my language. They will argue whether it’s going to be crêpes for breakfast, or fluffy American style. They will choose a topping for their Dutch baby pancake - sweet, or savoury. They will plan themselves what will go into the tray of baked crepes they’ll “cook” for dinner. Cheesy curry flavour is always a hit, and guess who makes it…
This Pancake Day – or Shrove Tuesday, which is happening this Tuesday in the UK - I will sadly be away on a long live tour (come see me!), so this whole love language thing will need to be done remotely, through a screen… not ideal.
But when I am back, I will be making a take on duck pancakes for them. An aromatic duck, plum sauce, julienned veg, the whole ritual of building your own. Perfect for my kids, and also weaving in a celebration of Chinese New Year - a festival that makes a single pancake day look remarkably restrained.
Chinese New Year isn’t just about eating, though there’s plenty of it. It’s a whole language of symbols embedded in food. Red isn’t just a colour, it’s good fortune. Whole fish are served as a metaphor for abundance - a year with a proper beginning and end. Noodles promise longevity (the longer, the better - don’t you dare cut them). Food becomes wish, prayer, and hope for what the year might bring.
This Pancake Day, I’m mixing traditions. A spread of thin savoury pancakes that work as wrappers for 5-spice duck with shitake mushrooms, and miso butter baked pears to top up my vegan (or any) fluffy pancakes.
Grab a pancake and pile it high. The love language we all understand.
Miso butter baked pears
Though tasting pretty decadent, these pears are surprisingly easy to make. The miso, butter and spices meld together in the oven to create a delicious sauce for the pears - a perfect topping for pancakes (vegan or other), porridge or French toast.
Vegan pancakes
For best texture, use oat milk that is not the barista grade (this will make them claggy) to make these fluffy pancake. Top them with the miso butter pear above, or with any other pancake topper that you like.
5-Spice duck with shitake, soy and peanut sprinkle
Compared with other techniques, this way of cooking duck is super simple and takes a fraction of the time, whilst still making it deliciously aromatic. It’s the perfect thing to serve inside your Mandarin pancakes below, but you can easily swap those for crisp lettuce cups, which are lighter and quicker, and serve with rice.
