Feel like brunch in the garden or on the terrace? It can be done safely an excellent all-pancake menu with the advice of Gian Luca Forino, Roman pastry chef who became famous with the talent show The greatest pastry chef, which he attended when he was at the Concierge. A pastry bar that became famous among other things thanks to the brunch event, which with its delicious pancakes attracted people from all over the city. «The recipe was balanced to be suitable for both sweet and savory seasonings, so much so that one of our greatest successes at the Concierge was the Pancakes week, in which only pancakes in all sauces were on the menu .

Forino has some advice, starting with cooking: «Everyone asks me when is the right time to turn them and the answer is simple, as soon as they start to bubble. It is the moment of maximum expansion of the pancake . Then the service, to eat hot or cold? «Neither, the ideal serving temperature is barely warm, especially if it goes with cream or cream, since if the pancake was excessively hot it would end up melting the creams. And as regards one of the most suitable accompaniments to pancakes, maple syrup, Forino recommends paying close attention to the label: «Despite being a very expensive product, it is often sold for maple syrup what it is in fact a substitute with a maple syrup flavor, while of course the best is the one made with real sap . To make a liter of maple syrup it takes 40 liters of maple sap, which gives that perfect amber color to the syrup. Real maple syrup, adds Forino, is also good for health: it is a natural sweetener rich in properties and beneficial substances for our body.

Finally some ideas of seasoning for pancakes: "One of the most requested of the Concierge was the salty one with scrambled eggs, bacon and maple syrup; among savory foods, the combination with fresh spreadable cheese, chives and smoked salmon was also a very successful combination . On the sweet side, Forino recommends trying with custard and cream (the recipe below, with the addition of fresh fruit to garnish and refresh the palate). For those who love berries, a top combination is also with whipped cream, blueberry jam and fresh blueberries.

Recipe: Pancakes with custard, whipped cream, fresh fruit and maple syrup

Ingredients

200 g flour
180 g eggs (3pz)
2 g salt
7 g baking powder
240 g milk
30 g seed oil
4 g baking soda
30 g sugar

Put flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, mix with a whisk adding milk, egg yolk and oil. Apart from whipping the egg whites, to be added to the last when the previous mixture is already perfectly blended.

Cook a ladle of dough on a lightly greased non-stick pan. When it starts to bubble on the surface and the part is cooked, turn it over and cook briefly also on the other side.

Custard

250 g milk
150 g sugar
150 g yolk
150 g cream
10g rice starch
10 g corn starch
1/2 vanilla bean

Boil together milk, cream and vanilla bean, apart from creating a pastel with yolk, sugar, starches and berry seeds. Pour the liquids on the pastel and bring back to the fire. Cook until the starch thickens (86 °).

The perfect service

Interval the layers of pancakes with the custard and fresh fruit. At the top garnish with whipped cream, fresh seasonal fruit and shower with maple syrup.