Easy pancakes

Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Crack in the egg and add about 50ml of the milk, then use a balloon whisk to start whisking, gradually incorporating the flour into the liquid. Add the remaining milk gradually, whisking continually, until the batter is slightly thicker than single cream. Add a touch more milk if needed. Incorporating the flour gradually like this is the best way to avoid lumps. (Alternatively, you can whizz up the batter in a blender until smooth.)

Cover the batter and leave it to rest for 30 minutes. If it thickens while resting, add a little more milk to bring it back to the right consistency. The batter must be quite thin, or you’ll end up with thick pancakes, as it’s tricky to swirl thicker batter in the pan fast enough before it sets.

Heat an 18-20cm nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil, swirl it around, then tip out any excess into a heatproof bowl. Ladle 60-80ml of batter into the pan, adding enough to just coat the base, swirling it around quickly to make a thin, even layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the edge of the batter begins to curl and the base is golden brown. Use a fish slice or palette knife to flip the pancake. Cook for 30 seconds-1 minute more, then transfer to a warm plate. Repeat with the rest of the batter, adding more oil if needed, to make 4-6 pancakes. Serve hot with your favourite fillings or toppings.