Drop Scone Pancakes with Dry Cured Bacon and Apple Syrup
These old-fashioned style pancakes were widely cooked in Irish country farmhouses, mostly because they were both economical and delicious. They are traditionally eaten with homemade butter and jams, much like how my mother would make them for me. I now serve them in more of a savoury way at Shelburne Lodge with bacon for a welcome saltiness. When cooking bacon, it should always be on a high heat, ideally using a hot griddle pan. I serve the pancakes with maple syrup or a homemade apple syrup. This apple syrup can also be served with porridge and works very well with yoghurt or vanilla ice-cream. To further enrich the sauce when serving with desserts, 2 tbsp of Longueville House Irish Apple Brandy can be added at the end. Use farm pressed apple juice for this recipe. The batter keeps for up to 2 days in the fridge. If stored in the fridge the pancakes will be thicker and need longer to cook.
Ingredients
Makes 12-14 pancakes
• 90g plain white flour
• A pinch of sea salt
• 2 rounded tsp baking powder sieved
• 1 tsp demerara sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100ml milk
• 40g butter, melted and cooled
• Butter for cooking (preferably use clarified butter)
• 6 rashers dry cured bacon
• 6 rashers unsmoked bacon
• A little jug of homemade apple syrup or maple syrup, to serve
• Oregano flower, sweet cicely or any seasonal herb, optional garnish
Apple Syrup
• 3 tbsp water
• 200g caster sugar
• 350ml Irish Farm Pressed Apple Juice (e.g. Attyflin Estate or Ballyhoura Apple Farm)
Method
Add the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and then mix in the sugar and blend thoroughly with a whisk. Beat the eggs lightly, add the milk and beat until blended (about 30 seconds). Add the eggs and milk to the dry ingredients and gently mix to combine, being careful not to overmix. Lastly, add the melted cooled butter. In a large heavy-based frying pan lightly grease with 1 tsp butter over a medium-high heat until it sizzles (be careful that the butter does not burn, if it burns do not use). Using a dessert spoon, dollop spoons of the mixture into the pan, allowing a little space for the mixture to spread. Cook until the pancakes start to rise and bubbles appear on the surface for about 3-4 minutes, then quickly flip over and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the pancakes are cooked through. They will need longer if the batter is thick and has been left overnight in the fridge. Add 1 tsp butter to the centre of the pan again, turn once more briefly, then turn out onto a hot plate. While the pancakes are cooking, heat a griddle pan over a high heat and lightly grease with a little oil. When the pan is hot, add the bacon rashers and fry for 1 minute on either side until golden brown.
To make the apple syrup, add the sugar and water to a heavy-based stainless steel saucepan and whisk continuously over a medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Turn up the heat and do not stir again, allowing the sugar to caramelise by swilling the pan over the heat. The edges will colour first – when a lovely golden colour all over, remove from the heat. Gradually pour in the apple juice, being very careful with your hands and face as it will splutter and splash. Place the pan back over a high heat and swill to combine the juice with the caramel which will be partly solidified. Continue to swill on the high heat until all is combined and then boil until a syrupy consistency for approximately 6-8 minutes. If adding brandy reduce to a thicker syrup. Remove from the heat. Cool and store in sterilised bottles for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Serve the pancakes with bacon and a small jug of homemade apple syrup or maple syrup.