There is, I have to confess, no need to put the vodka in the blackberry compote that accompanies these, but it does add to the sense of occasion.
The reality is that the director Matt Bennett asked me to come up with a recipe using vodka after a filmed visit to a potato farm and vodka distillery, Colewith Farm near St Austell, for my Cornish TV series. It was actually a celebration of autumn blackberries too.
SERVES 4–6
Blackberry compote
- 250g fresh (or frozen) blackberries
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1–2 tbsp caster sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)
Pancakes
- 125g plain flour
- Pinch salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 300ml milk
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil, plus extra for cooking
Vodka lemon drizzle
- 4 tbsp caster sugar
- 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2–3 tbsp vodka
To serve
- Clotted cream or vanilla ice cream
First make the batter. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg together with a little the mixture is the consistency of thick cream, add the tablespoon of oil and beat in the remaining milk. Set the batter aside for a few minutes while you make the compote.
Put the blackberries, lemon juice and sugar in a pan. Heat gently until the berries start to soften and release some of their juice and the sugar dissolves. Stir gently until you have a syrupy mixture but the berries are still holding their shape. Take the pan off the heat and set aside.
Heat a 20–23cm non-stick frying pan and swirl in a little oil, then pour out any excess. The pan should be just coated. Pour in enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan evenly and place over a medium heat. After about a minute or so, loosen the edges and flip the pancake over to cook the other side. Repeat to cook the rest, placing each one on a warm plate and covering with a clean tea towel to keep warm.
Mix together the sugar, lemon juice and vodka. To serve, drizzle each pancake with the vodka mixture, roll it up and spoon over some compote. Serve with cream or ice cream.
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