Creamy Woodland Mushroom & Chicken Pancakes

Are you a sweet or savoury pancake lover? Will you be piling your pancakes high this year, packing them full of lots of different delicious flavour combinations? My family love pancakes & we often have them throughout the year, however I'm not a massive fan of the sweet stuff. Savoury is the way forward, from delicious goats cheese, cheese and bacon, or even better delicious woodland mushrooms and chicken. These delicious creamy woodland mushroom and chicken pancake recipe is the perfect alternative savoury option for pancake day.

Ingredients for Pancake mix - Makes 8 pancakes

200g plain flour

2 eggs

300ml semi-skimmed milk

pinch of salt

25g butter

Ingredients for filling

2 tbsp olive oil

4 small shallots – finely chopped

2 garlic cloves – finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh tarragon – chopped

2 chicken breasts – cubed

3 x 200g pack of mixed woodland mushrooms - chopped

30g plain flour

350ml whole milk

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp of ground nutmeg

150ml double cream

1 egg - beaten

50g breadcrumbs

For the pancakes

1tbsp olive oil

Method for Creamy Woodland Mushroom & Chicken Pancakes

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas mark 6

2. For the pancakes, put the flour into a bowl, make a well and crack the eggs in the centre, along with half the milk and whisk. Once smooth whisk in the remaining milk

3. Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan on a high heat, add a splash of olive oil and when hot, ladle some mixture into the pan (tilt the pan to even out the mixture) cook for 40 seconds either side until golden brown (Note- You won’t need to add oil to the pan for every pancake, just every other pancake). Turn out on to a plate and repeat this process until you have 8 pancakes

4. In the same frying pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry the shallots and garlic for 2 minutes on a medium heat, then add in the chicken and tarragon. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and put into a mixing bowl

5. Add the final tbsp of olive oil to the same pan and add in the mushrooms (for guidelines on how to prepare our woodland mushrooms, click here) fry until golden and put into the mixing bowl along with the chicken, season well

6. Meanwhile in a saucepan, melt 25g of butter and then stir in the flour, this should make a thick paste, cook for 1-2 minutes then gradually whisk in the whole milk, keep whisking to prevent lumps

7. Once this has started to thicken, add in the lemon zest, nutmeg and plenty of seasoning (Note: the consistency of the white sauce should be similar to custard!) Pour this sauce in with the chicken and mushrooms and mix together

8. Spoon the mixture into each of the pancakes, roll and place into a baking dish

9. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes until golden and crispy

10. Serve with seasonal greens or a nice crunchy salad