Basic Pancake Batter

4oz/110g plain white flour
1 egg
0.75 pint / 425ml milk
1 tblsp melted butter
a little vegetable oil for cooking
Blend the first four ingredients together in a blender or by hand using an electric beater. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a jug or bowl and leave to rest in the fridge for 30minutes or so. Lightly brush the frying pan (8-10inch size) with a little oil and cook each pancake over a moderate heat. Use a ladle to pour enough batter to cover the base of the pan thinly and evenly. When the underside is golden brown, turn and cook underside similarly. Forget about the T.V. chef trick of flipping your crêpes in the air - you're more likely to carpet the kitchen floor than catch a crêpe. Make sure you lightly oil the pan between each batch.

This quantity will make 12-14 pancakes.

Variation: For the herb pancakes which look really colourful and taste extra delicious, just add 1tblsp of finely chopped fresh herbs to the basic batter. A mixture of parsley, chives and coriander or thyme would be good.