Let’s face the truth about Father’s Day cooking: Dad usually winds up standing over the grill.
It seems that most men have a genetic need to sear food over open flames, and most of us don’t want to be deprived of our right to do that.
But it’s sad that not as many men get cooked for as do the cooking on Father’s Day. The women in their lives have every right not to cook; after all, they probably do most of it most of the time. And you can’t expect children to cook on their own.
That’s why I think pancakes are a perfect special treat to cook for Dad. They’re easy and quick to make; the results are almost always good (as long as you keep an eye on them so they don’t burn); and children enjoy preparing them, preferably with the help of a responsible adult. And, of course, just about everyone loves to eat them.
When making pancakes, most home cooks today rely on boxed or bagged mixes or even cartons of premixed batter. But it’s really just as easy to make them from scratch, and you get the satisfaction of truly doing it yourself, and the results are delicious.
Moms and kids can collaborate in the kitchen with my recipe here for sour cream pancakes. It was originally developed many years ago by the chefs at my Postrio restaurant in San Francisco.
You’ll see how easily it comes together, and how rich and tender they taste, thanks to the inclusion of sour cream, beaten egg whites and some pastry flour.
A few tips will help you get the best results: Make sure you don’t overmix the batter–blend the wet and dry ingredients together only just enough to combine them. Then fold in the beaten egg whites just enough without deflating the batter. It’s also important to let the batter rest a bit (while you heat the oven to keep the first cooked pancakes warm), which gives the baking powder time to release the carbon dioxide that lightens the batter even more.
I love to serve these with real maple syrup, slightly warmed. Or I’ll make a simple fruit syrup by combining one part sliced fresh strawberries, peaches or plums–or chopped apple lightly sauteed in a little butter–with three parts maple syrup. Lightly sweetened whipped cream is a nice bonus. Or, if I feel like savory pancakes instead of sweet, I’ll top them with smoked salmon and a little sour cream mixed with grated lemon zest and chopped fresh chives.
Any way you eat them, the results are so delicious that everyone in the family will have a happy Father’s Day–even if Dad has to get up early to make them himself.
Sour cream pancakes
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes per batch
Resting time: 15 minutes
Yield: 12 pancakes
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup each: sour cream, non-fat milk
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup each: pastry flour, all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon each: baking powder, salt
Fresh berries, optional
Warmed maple syrup or fruit syrup
1. Whisk the egg yolks, sour cream, milk and melted butter in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Sift the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center; pour the egg yolk mixture into the well. Whisk mixture just enough to blend the wet and dry ingredients; set aside.
3. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with a mixer at medium speed until shiny and firm but not dry, about 3 minutes. Stir a dollop into the batter; then, with a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining whites until just a few streaks of white show. Set aside to rest 15 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 200 degrees; heat a non-stick griddle or a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brush the surface lightly with butter. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle; cook until bottom is golden brown and top is covered with small bubbles, about 2 minutes. Turn with a wide spatula; cook until the other side is golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer pancakes to a tray lined with a clean kitchen towel; keep warm in the oven until all pancakes are cooked.
5. Arrange the pancakes stacked or overlapping on individual serving plates. Garnish with berries if desired; serve with warmed maple syrup or fruit syrup.
Nutrition information per serving:
114 calories, 53% of calories from fat, 7 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 141 mg sodium, 0.1 g fiber
