Things to eat with pancakes when you're bored

[Fat Guy]

We're having pancakes for dinner tonight, at the request of some friends who are just wild about pancakes.

What are some good accompaniments for pancakes? Let's dispense with the obvious breakfast foods: bacon, sausage, ham, eggs.

What else?

[Carrot Top]

There is an interesting dish called "Buttermilk Cakes with Chicken, Ham and Walnuts" that comes from the early 1900's in my collection. Rich, hearty, sort of awe-inspiring in the sense of simplistic luxury it has. (Yes, of course I was there when it was being used at the turn of the century - I don't know why people even bother to ask this anymore.)

Of course if you want something quick and more easily prepared there is nothing wrong with a big tub of salmon caviar, lots of sour cream, and a bowl of chives in the middle of the table to ladle and scoop and sprinkle onto the pancakes. Pernods with water as beverage.

[Marlene]

Fruit compotes. Strawberry, blueberry etc.

Hash browns. Yeah they're sort of breakfasty too, although I like hash browns any time of the day.

[Jason Perlow]

Creme Fraische and Osetra Caviar.

Ok lets get serious.

I did a writeup of a really good pancake place in Jersey a few months back, Original Pancake House in Fort Lee, which is part of a small national chain. They've got some interesting variations on pancakes for sure.

http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/

The thing is, their regular pancakes with toppings basically are not nearly as interesting as their special pancakes, which rather than having toppings, are actually prepared from different types of batters and are actually cooked differently than regular flapjacks. For example their Dutch Baby and Apple Pancake are these baked monstrosities which don't really resemble traditional pancakes:

I'm still pretty much a sucker for regular pancakes with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, though:

[Adam Balic]

I imagine tha items that are used in up-market omelettes would work well, with a few tweaks (Omelette Arnold Bennett for instance), but maybe this is a little too breakfasty.

I would go for a twist on some other familar hearth-cakes, you know a 'burrrito', but filled with a light ragu etc.

Are there not traditional Jewish recipes that could be altered? When I was in Vilnius there were many places that had buckwheat pancakes with fillings, especially smoked fish and wild mushrooms.

[Chufi]

I had this one, with chanterelles in a white wine cream sauce, in Germany a couple of months ago. Very very good.

[Fat Guy]

These are all great ideas, and I wouldn't wish to prevent more of them from being expressed here. I'd love to keep hearing about these ideas. Let me be more specific about the needs of the group in question this evening, though:

We're going to be eating the most normal, garden-variety pancakes as they are eaten in the Northeastern United States: white-flour-based buttermilk pancakes of medium thickness, with maple syrup (from my family's farm in Vermont -- yes, we have farmers in the extended family) and butter. That is going to anchor our meal.

What I'm looking for are accompaniments -- the things to serve alongside these pancakes. With, not in or on. (Edited to add: As in "fried chicken and waffles" per Jason's example). Any more ideas there?

[Jason Perlow]

With. Okay, well how about a variation on the deep south -- Fried Chicken. They do it with waffles, but I don't see why you couldn't do it with Pancakes.

I also think some nice big thick char broiled hamburgers with fried onions on top, sans buns, would go well. I seem to remember long ago that IHOP used to have burgers on the side with pancakes.

Oh. And some bratwursts. Kielbasa even. Or nice big piles of thinly sliced country ham.

[Pontormo]

A light fruit soup made with pears and ginger or apples.

Use mugs.

Edited November 15, 2005 by Pontormo (log)

[Fat Guy]

The fried chicken idea is very much along the lines of what I was thinking about. I see waffles as a bit heartier, or at least sturdier, than pancakes, so I was thinking maybe a variant, like chicken schnitzel or Buffalo-style chicken wings. Or I could just get a bucket of Popeye's and call it a night.

[Fat Guy]

A light fruit soup made with pears and ginger or apples.

←

Hmm. Macoun apples and crystallized ginger. Could work as an appetizer or dessert.

[jsolomon]

Pancakes and chili con carne. Maple syrup goes disturbingly well with chili con carne.

Smoked meats also seem to go well with maple syrup, so smoked turkey and butternut squash in a shepherds pie.

[Jason Perlow]

The fried chicken idea is very much along the lines of what I was thinking about. I see waffles as a bit heartier, or at least sturdier, than pancakes, so I was thinking maybe a variant, like chicken schnitzel or Buffalo-style chicken wings. Or I could just get a bucket of Popeye's and call it a night.

←

Fried chicken breast cutlets would be good. So would the Popeyes.

I'd say chicken fried steaks too. And fried pork chops.

[lesfen]

Mmmm... I vote for bratwurst. There's something magical about syrup and sausage.

Edited to add that I don't eat bratwurst for breakfast, so it's different and therefor should be an option.

Edited November 15, 2005 by lesfen (log)

[snowangel]

Perhaps something like pork tenderloin or chops, or seared salmon? Both would taste yummy is some of that maple syrup happened onto them. Baked beans?

[Fat Guy]

Pancakes and chili con carne.  Maple syrup goes disturbingly well with chili con carne.

Smoked meats also seem to go well with maple syrup, so smoked turkey and butternut squash in a shepherds pie.

←

Really like the chili idea. I kind of suck at making chili, but if anybody can tell me how to do a really good chili in less than three hours (I'll be home at three and need to have dinner on the table shortly after six) I might try to tackle that.

The smoked meat idea is interesting too. I'm not necessarily committed to cooking everything myself, and I'm having lunch at Grand Sichuan International in New York, so maybe one thing that would work would be to bring home a tea-smoked duck and serve that with the meal.

[mrbigjas]

apples, pears, and thick slices of cheddar cheese.

[lesfen]

The fried chicken idea is very much along the lines of what I was thinking about. I see waffles as a bit heartier, or at least sturdier, than pancakes, so I was thinking maybe a variant, like chicken schnitzel or Buffalo-style chicken wings. Or I could just get a bucket of Popeye's and call it a night.

←

Fried chicken breast cutlets would be good. So would the Popeyes.

I'd say chicken fried steaks too. And fried pork chops.

←

Oh snap... pork chops! That should be the winner.

[Jason Perlow]

how to do a really good chili in less than three hours

Impossible, even with using canned beans.

[Fat Guy]

Mmmm... I vote for bratwurst.  There's something magical about syrup and sausage.

Edited to add that I don't eat bratwurst for breakfast, so it's different and therefor should be an option. 

←

One of my original thoughts was Aidell's chicken-and-apple sausages. There are also two excellent wurst shops near where I live: Schaller & Weber and the Yorkville Packing House. So maybe something in the non-breakfast sausage category. Hmm.

[Jason Perlow]

Riffing on mrbigjas, what about a baked brie?

[Poffertjes]

Tortilla Espanola.

It does combine the normal breakfast items. Eggs, Hashbrowns, but it will add a savory touch to the pancakes. My friends always request a tortilla when they come over for breakfast.

[Varmint]

Chicken fried pork chops with melted sharp cheddar cheese. The fried chicken would work well, too.

[Daniel]

Smoked pork chops sound good to me. Citerella's sells them, though I have yet to try them. Or fried chicken/steak/veal cutlets with white gravy sound good..

Edited November 15, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Pontormo]

I'd go for the duck or non-breakfast sausages or La Brea Tar Pit chicken wings (Gourmet cookbook, though I found them on the internet).

Thing is, how are you going to fit in something green?

Edited November 15, 2005 by Pontormo (log)