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Ira B's brings you an alternative Pancake Day recipe

Written by
Chris Parkin
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If you're like us and have a mind like a sieve, here's a quick reminder: it's Pancake Day!

With this in mind we asked Ira Silverman, the brains behind Leeds' best-loved restaurant Ira B's, which specialises in a New York deli take on traditional Jewish food, to give us a recipe that goes far beyond your typical flip-'em-and-coat-them-in-sugar-and-lemon pancakes.

Ira Silverman

So here we have it, Ira Silverman's alternative pancake recipe: Ira B's Cheesy Chappy Blintzes. True fact: ‘Blintz’ comes from the Yiddish word meaning sweet cheese-filled crêpe.

Serves four

Pancake ingredients
Four eggs
One cup of flour
1/3 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of water
One tsp of vanilla
A pinch of salt
Non-stick cooking oil spray
Vegetable oil

Filling ingredients
Four oz of full-fat cream cheese
Four oz of full ricotta
¼ cup of sugar
One egg yolk
One tsp of fresh lemon juice
One tsp of vanilla
One tsp of cinnamon
A pinch of salt

Topping ingredients
Sultanas
Blueberries
Maple Syrup
Sweetened sour cream

How to…

Make the batter
Blend all of the blintz ingredients together using a food processor or blender. The consistency of the batter should be smooth – no lumps. Warm up a non-stick frying pan on medium heat until hot. Grease the entire surface of the hot pan generously with non-stick cooking oil spray. Pour the blintz batter – 1/3 cupfuls at a time – into the pan, then tilt it in a circular motion until the batter coats the entire bottom of the pan in a large, thin, circular shape.

Let each blintz cook for 60-75 seconds until the edges of the blintz brown and the bottom is lightly golden. You can tell it's ready by touching the centre of the pancake's surface – it should be dry and slightly tacky to the touch. Do not flip the blintz. Use a spatula to take the blintz out of the pan and put it on a plate.

Make the filling
Put all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, then use a fork to mix them. The filling should be well-blended but slightly lumpy. Now stuff and wrap up your blintzes.

Do the tricky bit
Put three tbsp of filling on the lower part of the blintz, about an inch from the edge. Fold the lower edge of the blintz up over the filling. Fold the sides of the blintz inward, as though you’re folding an envelope. Roll the blintz up and over the filling like a burrito, tucking the edges in as you roll.

When they're stuffed and rolled, fry them. Pour a ¼ cup of vegetable oil into the skillet over a medium heat until hot. Do not let the oil turn brown or start smoking. Cook the blintzes in batches of three – this will give you space to turn them easily. Carefully place the stuffed blintzes flap-side down into the hot oil and fry them for one and a half to two minutes until they’re brown and crispy.

Turn the blintzes carefully using a spatula and tongs, then fry for an additional one and a half to two minutes. The blintzes should be evenly browned on both sides. Serve warm and add your chosen topping.

Et Volià!

Ira B's on Time Out Leeds.

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