Pannekoek

This article is about Dutch pancakes. For the scientist and political theoretician, see Antonie Pannekoek.

Pannenkoek

Pannenkoek with apple
Origin
Place of origin	Netherlands
Dish details
Course served	main
Serving temperature	warm
Main ingredient(s)	Flour, milk, eggs

A pannenkoek or pannekoek^[1] (plural panne(n)koeken) is a Dutch pancake.^[2] Pannekoeken are usually larger (up to a foot in diameter) and much thinner than American or Scottish pancakes. They may incorporate slices of bacon, apples, cheese, or raisins. Plain ones are often eaten with treacle (syrup made of sugar beets), appelstroop (an unspiced dutch variety of apple butter) or powdered sugar and are sometimes rolled up to be eaten by hand.

Basic ingredients are flour (plain, self-rising or both), milk, salt, and eggs. The addition of Buckwheat flour (up to 50 percent) is traditional, but much less common nowadays. Milk can be substituted for soy milk without changing the end result, the other ingredients are essential. Older Dutch people may recall the use of beestings in pannekoeken instead of milk.

The ingredients are beaten into a batter of a fairly liquid consistency. A ladle of batter is then pan fried in butter or oil. Once the top of the pannekoek is dry and the edges start to brown, it can be flipped over. The first one is often less than perfect. At home a stack of pannekoeken can be made in advance so everyone can eat a the same time, or people can take turns at the stove.

Pannekoeken can be, and often are, eaten as a main course. In winter pannekoeken are sometimes eaten after snert in a two course meal. Pannenkoeken are a popular choice for a child's birthday meal in the Netherlands. Specialised pannekoeken restaurants are common in the Netherlands. They often offer a very wide range of toppings and ingredients, traditional and modern (e.g. cheese, oregano and salami on a pizza-pannekoek).

Dutch supermarkets offer pre-cooked (microwavable) pannekoeken as well as pre-made batter and dry flour mixes. The latter only needs water added, because it contains powdered egg and powdered whey.

See also

• Clafoutis
• Flaugnarde
• Kaiserschmarrn, an Austrian version
• Okonomiyaki, a Japanese savory pancake with many fillings

References

1. ^ The spelling, with or without intermediate -n, is a matter of discussion. According to the 2005 Groene Boekje, pannenkoek is correct; the 2006 Witte Boekje allows both. See "Pannekoek of pannenkoek?". Genootschap Onze Taal. http://www.onzetaal.nl/advies/pannekoek.php. Retrieved 12 January 2011. .
2. ^ Sharron L. McElmeel, McElmeel, Sharron; Deborah L. McElmeel (2006). Authors in the pantry: recipes, stories, and more. Libraries Unlimited. pp. 49–50. ISBN 9781591583219.