Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, it has many names but is always the day kids love and the one where parents test their kitchen skills to the limit. It is always a fun activity and a cost effective way of entertaining the family. During the evening however, it is always wise to make sure your culinary masterclass is accompanied by Michelin star levels of safety. Here are some tips Scott Rees & Co prepared earlier to generate a sweet evening without the tears.
Get a handle on it
Be careful with saucepans with handles. If they protrude past the hob they are easy to knock off. Burns are the biggest injury concern on Pancake Day so know exactly where your handles are facing.
Too many cooks can spoil the broth
Children love Pancake Day. By all means impress with your flipping abilities to wow them, but during the cooking process there isn’t much to see; stray hands anywhere near the hot surfaces could spell trouble. Keep them a safe distance away.
Hot oil hurts!
It seems such an obvious point, but oil can be too hot and begin to spit. It can slush and spill out of a pan and onto skin if you don’t handle the pan carefully. If the oil looks to be getting too hot and spits or steams up, lower the heat and leave it for a moment to give it time.
Shut down the kitchen
At the end of the evening make sure everything is properly switched off including gas hobs, the oven or any other cooking accessory you may have used; fires are a high risk on pancake day due to a large volume of people leaving ovens on.
Smoke alarms primed!
You should never leave the kitchen if cooking but if you were to make the mistake and something happened; a working smoke detector gives you the earliest warning that something is wrong. It also helps if you have forgotten to turn anything off should smoke appear. Early warnings avoid disasters.
With all those points in mind, get your eggs, flour and milk at the ready. It’s time to face the music. How good is your flipping? Have fun and enjoy your pancakes, whatever you put on them!