How to make pancakes: follow our failsafe recipe

For this pancake recipe, you will need:
4oz plain flour, sifted
pinch of salt
1 egg
1/2pt milk
2oz butter

In case your tossing skills prove a tad rusty later on.

Be sure to incorporate all the flour when mixing in the egg. It will look lumpy and unappetising at this stage but don’t panic.

Once all the liquid has been added, keep whisking until the batter is smooth. If there’s time, leave the batter to stand for 20 minutes at room temperature. If there isn’t, don’t.

Get your frying pan medium hot and use the melted butter to grease the pan's base lightly (but thoroughly) before you cook each pancake. You can use a pastry brush for this but if it’s made of bristle you’ll probably have to chuck it out afterwards. You’re better off using a wad of kitchen paper.

How much batter you need for each pancake depends on the size of your frying pan but it tends to be a bit less than you expect (perhaps, 2 tablespoons for a medium sized pan). Shoogle the batter in the pan to coat the base evenly.

To see when the first side’s done, ease the edge up with a palette knife (if you realise at this point that you don’t own a palette knife, use whatever scraping/lifting utensil you do own). When the underside's done (golden brown is perfect but a bit burnt and crispy is also fine) it's time to flip it over.

Loosen the pancake edges first, then grip the frying pan handle with both hands to toss the pancake. Rescue the pancake from the floor if necessary (that’s why you had a bit of a sweep before you started).

Unless you're eating them as fast as you can cook them.