Bill Granger's Chocolate Pancakes

Although a relative newcomer to the British food scene (he has just opened his first restaurant in Notting Hill), the Australian restauranteur and food writer, Bill Granger, is regarded as a modern-day food-deity in his native land.  His three café-style restaurants in Sydney are immensely popular, especially at weekends, when Granger devotees think nothing of rising at dawn just to skip the queues for his notoriously delicious scrambled egg breakfasts.

And therein lies the secret of his success.  While it is an incontrovertible fact that the man can cook just about anything (particularly Asian cuisine), this savvy, self-taught chef has recognised that his style of cooking appeals particularly to the breakfast/brunch market.  With this in mind, he has consciously nurtured a relaxed, laid back atmosphere in his restaurants.  Adopting a no-reservation policy at weekends, he has set his establishments apart from a lot of popular Sydney eateries, which can often be accused of taking themselves far too seriously.

But perhaps the most ingenious of all is the fact that two out of his three restaurants cater only for the breakfast and lunch, closing their doors in the afternoon.  By resolutely turning his back on night-time diners, Granger has established himself as the undisputable king of Sydney breakfasts.

And so, with Shrove Tuesday once again upon us, it is perhaps unsurprising that I turned to good ole Bill for some pancake inspiration.  In fact, with many of you about to embark on some form of Lenten abstinence, these sinfully decadent chocolate pancakes are just the ticket to send you on your way.

Bill Granger's Chocolate Pancakes

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 15 mins plus 1 hr cooling time
Makes 10

Ingredients:

150g plain flour
2 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled (plus extra for cooking)
Pinch of salt
Jar of Nutella

You will also need a 20com non-stick frying pan.

This recipe could not be simpler:

1. Blitz all the ingredients in a blender (or, if you prefer to go old-skool, simply combine all the wet ingredients with the dry in a spacious bowl, and beat until you get a smooth batter).
2. Transfer the batter to a jug and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. Brush the frying pan with melted butter and place on a medium heat.
4. When pan is hot, add a ladleful of batter to the pan, and tip the pan to ensure the batter spreads evenly. (If you find the batter is too thick, add a little milk).
5. Cook for 1 minute and then flip the pancake.  Cook for just a few seconds on the other side.
6. Transfer to a warmed plate and repeat the process (adding more butter to the pan each time) until all batter is gone.
7. Spread with Nutella (and maybe just a light sprinking of vanilla sugar), fold and serve.

Enjoy!