Are these lazy porridge pancakes the new way to eat your porridge? I’m not certain how new this concept is. I vividly remember the pot of porridge and water going on the (cold) hob overnight to soak before the next morning from my childhood. If you’re not a big fan of eating wet porridge in the mornings but still want to get some oats into you then this is another option.

Now whatever you do, remember you made this pancake batter with oats. Otherwise you could end up spending 5 minutes beating the bejeepers out of it to get rid of lumps. Ahem. In my defence I was tired and had forgotten I’d made a batch of lazy porridge pancakes, as opposed to a plain pancake batter.

The beauty of these pancakes is that fermenting the batter overnight really adds to the flavour. As I am not a fan of whisking or beating when I don’t have to, I’ve a little trick to make small batches that keep well in the fridge with little mess for you! If you don’t want to wait until overnight to enjoy these pancakes, then add half a teaspoon of baking soda to the mixture then cook immediately you have combined all the ingredients well.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 50g plain flour
• 30g rolled oats
• 1 medium egg
• 60ml buttermilk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil (or similar) for frying

Method

The night before you want to eat these pancakes, put the flour, oats, (cracked egg, obviously not the shell lads) egg, buttermilk and salt into a large clean jam jar with a tight sealable lid.  A Kilner-style jar or plastic flask also work well here. Seal the lid tightly.

Shake the heck out of the jar. Turn on the radio/MP3 player and pick a seriously good and long tune. Close the curtains and shake your ass up and down the kitchen. Work those bingo wings. Give the jar to small people in the house, let them shake it (under supervision if it’s a glass jar). 

Now far be it from me to tell you to shake that booty behind closed doors or curtains. I just think that I need to spare my neighbours (my kitchen is at the front of the house) the sight of my joggly bits wobbling around the kitchen before I go to bed. In the interests of public safety & saving everybody from nightmares I do this dance in secret.

Once you’re sure that you’ve combined the ingredients as best you can, put the jar in the fridge. Don’t worry if there are lumps, they will work out overnight. If you see that there is some flour stuck to the inside of the jar maybe just use a fork to loosen it.

The following morning, give the jar a quick last shake, heat a frying pan on a medium heat with the sunflower oil. Use a tablespoon to drop small amounts of batter onto the pan. Cook for 3 minutes either side or until golden brown.

I like mine with jam but they would really set you up for the day with some crispy bacon and maple syrup. The 17 month old just eats his plain in his hands once cool.

What do you like your pancakes with?