Secrets of Great Second Meals

The Whole-Grain Pancake

A large batch of oatmeal can supply multiple warm bowlfuls over the week. Every so often, I end up with a serving or so that hasn’t been eaten, and I can work it into enticing weekend pancakes for the family. A couple of quickly whisked egg whites fluff things up and keep the pancakes from getting too heavy. Of course, you can serve these with just butter and maple syrup, but if you’re feeling a little fancy, spread them with a bit of apple or pear butter and fan a few slices of thinly cut pears atop the flapjacks. I don’t usually recommend too many cooking gadgets, but frequent pancake makers should know that an electric griddle is one way to decrease your flapjack fails.

Extra ingredient: cooked oatmeal

Time: 30 minutes (30 minutes active)

Makes 8 pancakes

½ cup all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¾ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg, separated, plus 1 large egg white

1 cup cooked steel-cut or rolled oats, broken up into small bits by hand or with a fork

Ghee or canola oil, for cooking the pancakes

Butter, to serve

Pure maple syrup or apple butter, to serve

1 pear, cored and thinly sliced, to serve, optional

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

2. In a large measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk the buttermilk, vanilla, butter, and egg yolk until fully blended. Add the oatmeal and use a sturdy whisk to break up any oatmeal clumps. Stir well.

3. In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, egg beater, or large clean whisk, beat the egg whites into soft peaks.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, taking care not to overmix. Fold the egg whites gently into the batter, again using a light touch. A few streaks in the batter are okay.

5. Heat a heavy stovetop griddle, an electric griddle, or a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and coat it very lightly with ghee. Test a spoonful of batter first to see if the pan is a good temperature: the pancake should brown nicely without scorching quickly. Drop the batter in ¼-cup scoops onto the hot surface, shaking the pan a bit or using a heatproof spatula to spread the batter into 4-inch rounds. Cook until bubbles pop through to the surface and then subside, about 1½ minutes: the bottom of the pancake should be lacy and brown. Flip the pancake and cook for another 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining batter, lightly coating the pan with ghee between batches.

6. Serve the pancakes with butter, maple syrup or apple butter, and pear slices, if desired.

VARIATIONS

Use the pancake as a canvas. They will support any number of delicious things that are hanging out in your refrigerator: extra jams and marmalades, a spoonful of almond butter and a drizzle of honey, or a bit of sour cream. You can also toss some berries into a pan with a spoonful of sugar and a squeeze of lemon. As soon as they release their juices, serve them with the hot pancakes.
Switch the grain. Most cooked cereals—10-grain cereal, buckwheat porridge, cream of wheat, you name it—can work in the pancakes.
Switch the flavor. Skip the spices and grate some orange or lemon zest into the pancakes, or grate an apple and mix it in before folding in the beaten egg whites.
Make it savory. Chop up a couple of tablespoons of ham or pancetta and reduce the sugar by half. Skip the spices and make some pancakes worthy of a quick dinner. Serve with a fried egg and a little handful of greens.