I credit myself – I’m a good cook. Not a chef. I can’t create a recipe, I can’t imagine flavour-combinations as easily as I can jam words together. Also, I’ve never even visited a culinary school. I couldn’t tell you where the nearest one is.

That said, I make the best blueberry pancakes in the village. That is a bit of a boast because I’m sure we have at least one American but – well, now I’ve said it. And down goes the gauntlet.

Here’s the recipe I use:

INGREDIENTS
5oz plain flour
2tbsp caster sugar
2tsp baking powder
Half tsp salt
8 fluid oz buttermilk
3tbsp butter, melted
1 large egg
5oz blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
Oil for frying

TO SERVE
Butter
Maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 140ºC. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

2. Beat the buttermilk, butter and egg together in a separate bowl, then pour the mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Beat the dry ingredients into the liquid, gradually drawing in the dry ingredients from the sides of the bowl, until a smooth batter is achieved. Gently stir in the blueberries.

3. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. As the pan warms, add the oil and roll it around.

4. Use a ladle to plop about 4tbsps of batter into the frying pan and spread it out to create a 4” round. Continue adding as many pancakes as you can fit in the frying pan. Leave to cook until small bubbles appear on the surface, then flip them over and cook for a further minute or two, until the bases are golden brown.

5. Transfer the pancakes to a baking tray and pop in the oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of the pancakes. Just keep going until you run out of batter. Rest assured, you will get through them. This recipe is enough for me and Aimée.

6. Re-oil the pan as required, and serve with a blob of butter on top of each pancake, and maple syrup poured over the top.

You’re welcome.