Pancakes

Never cook pancakes in a pan swimming in hot fat. The secret is to cook them in almost no fat at all. The best method is to buy a chunky piece of bacon fat, the sort of bit you find among the bacon scraps or end pieces. Rub it round the hot pan before pouring in the batter: As the pancakes are prepared, keep them hot by stacking neatly between two plates set over a saucepan of simmering water.