Contemporary Classics: Flipping for Pancakes
Traditionally simple or fashionably adorned, pancakes are a classic
By Laura Yee, Special to R&I -- Restaurants & Institutions, 9/1/2004
The deck is stacked for buttermilk pancakes, a dish that may be humble but rarely plain. Chefs say flapjacks have allure and complexity that belie their simplicity. Fluffy and light with a golden-brown surface, pancakes are a morning-menu standard.
The basic buttermilk version is by far the most popular at IHOP, even though many other kinds share the menu. And maple-flavored syrup remains the preferred topping over the other selections, including strawberry, blueberry and raspberry.
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“Buttermilk is the favorite pancake, but we venture into other areas so our guests have new options to try,” says Patrick Lenow, director of public relations and communications for the Glendale, Calif.-based chain.
Because the beloved pancake is so simple, it is ideal for improvisation. Customers responded favorably to IHOP’s recent Paradise Pancake promotion, Lenow says. The banana-split option paired pancakes, bananas, strawberries, blueberries and granola with a choice of strawberry yogurt or vanilla ice cream. The chain’s South Pacific pancakes united hotcakes with pineapple, toasted coconut, confectioners’ sugar, whipped topping and coconut syrup.
Fruit, chefs say, provides operators an easy way to vary pancakes. Seasonal produce—added to pancake batter or used as a garnish—effectively conveys quality and freshness.
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At Park 75 in the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, pancake recipes change to reflect the seasons. During warmer months when peaches are at their best, the stone fruit graces popular hotcakes. Year-round, however, Chocolate-Chocolate-Chunk Pancakes are popular.
Blueberries, a guest favorite, enjoy a long run. Just as fruit from Florida peaks, supplies from Michigan and New Jersey become available. They find their way into pancakes at the University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center and the Marriott Orlando World Center.
In Los Angeles, lemon pancakes are always in season at breakfast institution John O’Groats, where kids—as well as execs from nearby Twentieth Century Fox—line up for hotcakes topped with lemon curd and confectioners’ sugar.
“Pancakes are the rage,” says Elizabeth Stone of The Stone Kitchen in Houston. “Even with the low-carb hoopla, people still want them. Customers don’t have time to make them at home, so it’s something they want when they go out. There’s so much you can do with them.”
Stone prefers to mix fruit, such as blueberries, into the batter. But she also adds a burst of flavor by topping hotcakes with flavored butter. She recommends folding honey, ripe strawberries, peaches or mango into softened butter. The flavors, melting down a tall stack, resonate with diners.
“Pancakes are a comfort food that people will always want,” Stone says.
Stacked to Order
When it comes to high-volume preparation,
pancakes are ready for the challenge.
For catering, banquet or noncommercial operations, pour batter onto multiple griddles from large pitchers. Once cooked, pancakes can be transferred to chafing dishes. Elizabeth Stone of The Stone Kitchen in Houston, who recently catered a breakfast for 600, says pancakes easily hold for an hour or two.
Her pancake station includes condiments such as fresh fruit, fruit butters and a variety of syrups. Stone prefers to make her own batter, which consists of flour, buttermilk, sugar, milk and leavening, but she says many high-quality mixes are available. Experiment to find the one best suited for a particular operation, she recommends.
“The secret to fluffy pancakes is not to overbeat,” she advises. “For thicker pancakes, use less water, milk or cream. Use more for thinner ones.”
What's the Flap, Jack?
The ubiquitous buttermilk pancake may be
a perennial favorite but at some restaurants, the most popular
versions are far more complex.
The signature dish at Portland, Ore.-based Original Pancake House is an oversized apple pancake that’s baked. It arrives at the table golden brown, bubbling with sautéed apples, cinnamon and caramelized sugar.
Other chain favorites include paper-thin Swedish pancakes, which the Original Pancake House serves with lingonberries, and the Dutch baby, a puffy, baked German-style pancake served with lemon wedges and dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
Memphis, Tenn.-based Perkins Restaurant & Bakery also exalts the pancake, giving special treatment to hotcakes for kids. At the restaurants, three little pancakes studded with mini chocolate chips form the shape of a bear’s head while sprinkles tossed into batter make up rainbow pancakes.
Menu Scan
Cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, citrus zest and ricotta cheese
are among ways to dress up pancakes. More ideas from leading
operators:
Cinnamon-apple pancakes
Eat’n Park, multiple locations
Buckwheat-orange pancakes
The Evergreen State College
(Bon Appétit Management), Olympia, Wash.
Pumpkin pancakes
Memorial Hospital, Towanda, Pa.
Lemon-ricotta pancakes with ham, mixed berries and maple syrup
Metropolitan Museum of Art
(Restaurant Associates), New York City
Buttermilk pancakes with apricot sauce
Millie’s Pancake
Haus, Tucson, Ariz.
Jelly Doughnut Pancakes stuffed with house-made jelly and topped
with preserved-citrus butter
Orange, Chicago
Peanut Butter Pancakes
Executive Chef Todd English, Figs, Charleston, Mass.
Yield: 4 servings
| Water | 3/4 cup |
| Peanut butter | 3/4 cup |
| Clarified butter | 1 Tbsp. |
| Buttermilk pancake mix | 1 cup |
| Confectioners’ sugar | garnish |
| Chopped peanuts | garnish |
- Whisk water into peanut butter and then stir in butter. Add pancake mix and whisk until lumps disappear; do not overmix.
- Cook on 350F griddle until bubbles form on top. Flip and cook for a few more minutes.
- To serve, garnish with confectioners’sugar and chopped peanuts.
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