Shrove Tuesday heralds the beginning of Lent which starts tomorrow, Ash Wednesday. The forty days of Lent are a period of abstinence in the Christian tradition . As a child, abstinence meant giving up chocolate and sweets. I made this bearable by crossing the days off the calendar in a countdown to the Easter Day chocolate fest.
Shrove Tuesday is also know as Pancake Day, as pancakes are the traditional celebratory dish to pig out on before Lent begins. According to the BBC website “Shrove Tuesday gets its name from the ritual of shriving that Christians used to undergo in the past. In shriving, a person confesses their sins and receives absolution for them.” So today Shrove Tuesday I should strive to shrive. Who knew and try saying the last sentence out loud.
I ate my pancakes with caramelised oranges. Yummy!
Caramelised Oranges
250g Sugar
25oml Water
2 tbs Grand Marnier
6 Oranges
First prepare the oranges as follows. Use a sharp knife to remove all skin and pith from each orange. Then use a serrated knife to cut either side of the membranes to release the segments. Put these and the juice which escapes into a bowl.
Put the water and the sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan over a low heat. Do not stir, just wait until the sugar has totally dissolved. Turn up the heat and boil vigorously until the liquid turns a deep golden colour. (Be careful it will splash and it’s very hot). Take the pan off the stove, allow the carmamelised sugar syrup to cool before adding the Grand Marnier. Finally pour it over the orange segments and pop in the fridge until needed.
What did you have with your pancakes today?
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