The Oxfork American Breakfast

We’re Chloe and Jess, the folks behind Oxfork. We’re both career changers; Chloe worked in music and events, Jess worked for an environmental charity – we both jacked in the day-jobs a few years ago and retrained at Leith’s Cookery School.

We run Oxfork, a little café on Magdalen Road, OX4. Chloe started Oxfork as an underground restaurant in her house two and a half years ago and Jess joined the party when we found our permanent base here in an old bicycle shop.

Our cooking style is local and seasonal. A phrase sometimes coined too lightly, but all our specials are based on what we can get that week from North Aston Organics, we enjoy the challenge of reacting to what’s available.

We specialise in breakfast and brunch.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Oxfork American Breakfast

At Oxfork we’re crazy about all things breakfast and brunchy, the American breakfast was a late addition (but seemingly very welcome) to our menu, about a year after we opened. This recipe originally started off as a lunchtime special (after a good friend talked us both in to trying pancakes out because they were his favourite), and we literally couldn’t make them fast enough and it’s gone on to be one of our most popular breakfasts.

First we served them the all-American way with bacon, eggs and maple syrup, but soon made them available with Crudges Hallooomi (a really tasty English halloumi-style cheese made locally in Kingham, it’s available at East Oxford and Wolvercote Farmers markets).

These fluffy, thick pancakes are really versatile and are just as at home with fruit or ice cream as they are with the bacon or halloumi that we serve them with in the café.

We cook our pancakes in those tiny fried egg pans you see in the kitchen department (and wonder who on earth buys them), as they keep the size nice and consistent. However, if you have a set of kitchen rings you can use those in a frying pan, or you can get a fairly regular shape by pouring in the batter by eye using a ladle.

For one (generous) portion you’ll need: s 135g plain flour s 1 teaspoon baking powder s 1 teaspoon salt s 2 tablespoons caster sugar s 130ml whole milk s 1 egg s 2 tablespoons melted butter To garnish: Your favourite bacon, or Halloumi, eggs your way and maple syrup.

Method: Firstly melt the butter and allow to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs and milk in a bowl and add the butter.

Weigh all the remaining dry ingredients and mix.

Beat the dry ingredients into the wet a little at a time until you have a thick batter (don’t worry too much if you have a few lumps!) Leave the batter to stand for five minutes.

Heat your frying pan and add vegetable oil (for an extra luxurious finish you can add a knob of butter), wait until the oil is nice and hot before adding a quarter to a fifth of the batter.

Once small bubbles appear flip each pancake, and to check if the pancake is cooked, press lightly in the centre and the cake should bounce back. If it’s still a little liquid flip it again once or twice to make sure it’s set-up in the middle. Serve with the garnish of your choice.

Perhaps a useful tip is that you can make these pancakes in advance (they will keep for a day-or-so, but keep in the fridge in a sealed container once cooled). Just heat through on a baking sheet covered greaseproof paper in a medium oven (around 160C) until hot.