SHROVE TUESDAY - A SHORT HISTORY AND RECIPES by Sharon Jacobsen

Pancakes! Yummy! I don't think I know anybody, children or adults, who doesn't enjoy a pancake on Shrove Tuesday.

But have you ever wondered why we have this tradition of eating pancakes on one particular day of the year? Why, of all things, were pancakes fried and eaten on the day before Lent begins?

Well, with Lent being a time of fasting, when people had to get by on the most meagre of foods, pancakes were the perfect way of using up fat, butter and eggs, all food stuffs that were forbidden during the Lenten period.

As people have always enjoyed a good celebration, the frying and eating of pancakes soon became something of a 'fling' - a last day of fun before the solemnity of Lent begun and it's for this reason that many countries hold carnivals on Shrove Tuesday, also known by it's French name of Mardi Gras, meaning 'Fat Tuesday'. The most famous of these carnivals are without a doubt those of Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans.

Here in the UK, Shrove Tuesday celebrations are a rather more subdued affair, with pancake races being at the top of the events schedule. To anybody outside of the UK, the idea of running along streets tossing pancakes in frying pans must seem quite eccentric; but then that's the British for you.

It's believed that the tradition of tossing pancakes started in Olney, Buckinghamshire in 1445. Whilst frying pancakes, a woman was called to church for confession. Not wanting to ruin the pancake, she ran to church in her dress, still tossing the pancake in her pan. Quite why others followed, quite literally, in her footsteps isn't known but even today, most pancake race rules stipulate that women entering must wear dresses! Each are then given a frying pan containing a hot pancake and are sent out to run a 375 meter course over which they must toss their pancake at least three times. The race will usually end at a church where the winner is traditionally kissed by the bell ringer.

Not everybody is willing to run the streets tossing pancakes and not all towns and villages arrange races but even those who are quietly enjoying a pancake or six at home will be, according to superstition, bringing good luck to the home for the 47 days left until Easter.

Pancake tossing is quite an art, one that I've never managed to perfect. Some, such as Ralf Laue, take tossing very seriously. Ralf holds the world record for tossing a pancake continuously for three hours, two minutes and 27 seconds! Phew!

HOW DO I MAKE PANCAKES?

If you want to join in the fun of pancake day, knowing how to make a good pancake is essential. The following recipe will make about 12-14 pancakes, depending on how thick you make them.

Good pancakes should always be made from a mixture that was prepared at least an hour before frying.

~~ INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb (220g) self raising flour

1/2 pint (250 ml)milk

1/2 pint (250 ml) water (or, if you like, replace 100ml of water with club soda for fluffier pancakes)

2 eggs

pinch salt

1 1/2 oz (40 g) lard

lemon juice

sugar for sprinkling

~~ METHOD

1. Sieve the flour and salt into a basin and make a well in the centre.

2. Break the eggs one at a time and pour into the well.

3. Gradually beat the eggs and flour together, adding the milk a little at a time until the mixture has a nice, creamy consistency.

4. Beat the batter for a few minutes to aerate it, and leave to stand for at least an hour. After the hour has passed, the batter should be covered in tiny air bubbles.

5. Heat the frying pan or griddle with a little fat (lard is traditional but any fat will work) and pour on enough batter to cover the area needed.

6. Cook until the top is dry and then either toss or turn the pancake with a flat knife.

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BIO:

Sharon is founder of FriendsYourWay (http://www.friendsyourway.co.uk), a web service dedicated to helping women in the UK find friends in their own local areas.

Sharon lives in Cheshire with her partner, Richard, and however many of her three children happen to be living at home at any given time. She's interested in writing, gardening, crafts and living life to the full.

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