How to celebrate Pancake Day 2012 in London

Get your frying pans at the ready folks, February 21 is Shrove Tuesday and this year's pancake action need not be confined to the kitchen. Pancake races across the city will see everyone from builders to hipsters to MPs and even Time Out journalists tossing their way towards the finish line. Dress up and join in or chomp a bit of batter from the sidelines. And don't worry if your pancakes turn out to be a flop, you can always check out the best places in London to get a pancake. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

Follow our simple pancake recipe

To make 1 inedibly thick pancake, 4/5 OK pancakes and 1 scrappy one for the dog, you’ll need:

4oz plain flour, sifted

pinch of salt

1 egg

1/2pt milk

2oz butter

If you’re taking the DIY approach: sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the egg into it. Whisk the egg in, incorporating all the flour. Add the milk gradually, whisking as you go. When all the liquid has been added, go on whisking until the batter is smooth. If there’s time, leave it to stand for 20 minutes at room temperature. If there isn’t, don’t.

Melt the butter and use kitchen paper to grease the frying pan (a pastry brush is also good for this but you’ll have to chuck it out afterwards).

Get the pan medium hot (the kids may be doing the cooking but parental supervision is obviously required; you don’t get a drink yet).

How much batter you need for each pancake depends on the size of your frying pan but it’s less than you expect, maybe a tablespoon full?

Shoogle the batter in the pan to coat the base evenly. To see when the first side’s done, lift the edge with a palette knife (if you realise at this point that you don’t own a palette knife, use whatever scraping thing you do own and make sure that by next Pancake Day you’ve bought one, as well as replaced your wrecked pan).

Grip the frying pan handle with both hands and toss the pancake with abandon. Rescue the pancake from the floor if necessary, saying, ‘That’ll be fine – good thing the floor’s clean’.

Cook the other side till it’s done.

Serve with a pile of lemon wedges to squeeze over and the sugar bowl on hand; you may also need the Nutella jar.