Pancakes or soup - why not both?

​Pancake Soup (meat or vegetarian options)
Pancake and soup – once you get over the shock, what more comforting combination can you possibly imagine?  This is a recipe common in the south of Germany called “flaedlesuppe” and you find it in nearly every neighbourhood restaurant.  It’s very very easy, and just what you need to warm your insides on a horrible day. It’s a great lunch meal for half term with the kids home - I never met a child who wouldn’t eat a pancake. Or an adult, come to that; it’s difficult to resist eating bits off the edges of the pancakes when they come out of the pan.

Serves 4, 20 minutes if using pre-made beef stock.

• 800ml good beef stock – use a cube, use bought stock from a jar or make your own (which takes a long time simmering but is delicious and has all sorts of health benefits, allegedly, from the minerals in the bones).  Beef is the classic base but you could make this with vegetable stock or chicken stock if you like.

For the pancakes: 

• 150g plain flour (about half a large mug)
• 1 egg
• 150ml milk
• Butter or oil for frying
• Finely chopped herbs – whatever you fancy or have to hand. I like a combination of parsley, chives, chervil and even sorrel in the season. I wouldn’t use the strongly aromatic or woody ones like rosemary or sage but you can if you want – you need a good handful as you do need the pancakes to pack a herby punch.

Put the stock on to warm up while you make the pancakes.

In a bowl combine the flour, eggs, milk and beat with a fork to a thinnish batter. Add the chopped herbs and season really well with salt and pepper.

Heat up a small frying pan with a small amount of butter or oil, scoop in a ladleful of batter, swirl to make the pancake. Cook on one side for about 2 minutes to brown, then flip over to brown the other side. Continue making a stack of pancakes until all the batter is used up. The pancakes won’t be quite as thin as if you didn’t have the herbs in, don’t worry.

Take each pancake and roll it tightly, then slice it into thin strips – I cut it with scissors. Drop all the pancake strips into the simmering stock and warm through for a few minutes.
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Add another sprinkle of chopped parsley or chives and serve. The soup doesn’t keep very well with the pancakes in, so eat it all in one go. I didn’t really need to say that, there are never any leftovers.