What it means to me Shrove Tuesday

Your traditions

I n t h e U K w e c e l e b r a t e t h e s t a r t o f L e n t b y m a k i n g p a n c a k e s . S o w e a s k e d f o o d i e s f r o m d i f f e r e n t c o u n t r i e s a b o u t t h e i r t r a d i t i o n a l S h r o v e Tu e s d a y r e c i p e s

‘CELEBRATIONS IN POLAND HAPPEN ON A THURSDAY’

‘In Poland, we celebrate the Thursday before Lent rather than the Tuesday and we call it Fat Thursday, or Tłusty Czwartek in Polish. Just like Pancake Day in the UK, we eat sweet treats but our traditional recipes include plum-jamfilled doughnuts, and faworki. It’s basically a dough that is beaten with a rolling pin, rolled very thin, sliced into ribbon-like pieces, twisted, deep-fried and sprinkled with icing sugar. They’re something the whole family can get involved in making together.’

Damian Wawrzyniak, international chef consultant, @chefconsultant

ÔWe eat sweet treats but our traditional recipes Ô include plum-jamfilled doughnuts and faworki

FA W O R K I

Makes 30 Takes 1 hr 5 mins plus 30 mins chilling Cost per serve 9p

310g plain white flour, plus extra for dusting 1 tsp granulated sugar 5 medium egg yolks, beaten 1 tbsp vodka or white wine vinegar 6 tbsp soured cream 1ltr vegetable oil, for frying 1 tsp icing sugar, for dusting

1 Put the flour, 1 tsp fine salt and the sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the egg yolks, vodka or vinegar and the soured cream. Stir to bring the mixture together, then turn out onto a clean work surface and knead for 10 mins or until it becomes a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 5 mins. 2 Remove the clingfilm and place the dough on a very lightly floured surface. Flatten the dough into a rectangle by beating it with a rolling pin (this aerates it: it’s important that the dough is beaten and not rolled at this point). When it’s an even thickness of 1.5cm, fold the short ends of the dough into the centre, one on top of the other, to give 3 layers. Repeat this step 3-4 times so the dough has been beaten for about 10 mins and is very smooth. Cover with clingfilm and chill for 20 mins. 3 Remove the clingfilm and place the dough on a very lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangle about 20 x 45cm and the thickness of a £1 coin. Trim to a neat, straight-sided rectangle. With a short side facing you, slice in half vertically so you have two 10 x 45cm rectangles. Next, slice each rectangle horizontally at 3cm intervals to cut out 30 pieces in total. Cover with a damp cloth to stop them drying out. Cut a 3cm slit in the centre of each strip and pull one end of the strip through and back on itself to create a twist. Transfer to a chopping board or baking sheet lined with baking paper while you prepare the rest. 4 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat until it reaches 170°C or a cube of bread turns golden in 1 min. Fry the faworki in batches for 2 mins or until golden, turning halfway through. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper, then dust with icing sugar. Store in an airtight container. Best eaten on the day they are made.

Each faworki contains

Energy Fat Saturates

Sugars Salt 395kJ 95kcal 7g 1g 0g 0.1g 5% 9% 6% 0% 2% of the reference intake. See page 105. Carbohydrate 8g Protein 2g Fibre 0.4g

‘PEOPLE QUEUE FOR HOURS AT BAKERIES TO BUY FASTELAVN’

‘In Denmark, we have a Shrovetide celebration called Fastelavn and we eat Fastelavn buns. The buns are filled with custard and marzipan, finished with whipped cream and topped with colourful icing. People queue for hours at bakeries to buy them. On the day, children play a game where a barrel is filled with sweets and painted with a black cat, and they take turns to hit the barrel. Whoever knocks out the base of the barrel is called the Cat Queen, and whoever knocks down the last piece of the barrel is known as the Cat King.’

Betina Skovbro, owner of Brød bakery and coffee shop in Cardiff, thedanishbakery.co.uk ‘IN NIGERIA OUR PANCAKES PACK A PUNCH’

‘For Shrove Tuesday, we have Nigerian pancakes, which are similar to crêpes but with a more savoury flavour. Made with hot Scotch bonnet pepper or chillies, they’re known for their spicy kick. I have an easy recipe that packs a punch with a chilliinfused pancake batter and a tofu scramble with the classic northern Nigerian suya spice. Also known as yaji, suya is a dry spice mix traditionally used to marinate cuts of meat or vegetables. Although it originates from northern Nigeria, the spice is loved across the whole country and is used as a seasoning in a variety of dishes.’

Tomi Makanjuola, cookbook author and blogger, vegannigerian.com

GIVE ME MORE!

Find Betina’s and Tomi’s recipes in the digital version of this magazine at tes.co/tescomagazine.