Oatmeal Egg Pancake

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 50 g rolled oats
• 50–100 ml milk
• 50 g vegetables (optional, such as spinach)
• butter

Method

Soak the rolled oats in milk for 5 minutes so they absorb liquid and soften. This matters: dry oats will cook unevenly and turn gritty instead of creamy. Whilst the oats rest, beat the eggs with a fork until the yolk and white are uniform — no streaks. The oats will thicken noticeably; fold the eggs in with a spatula until you have a thick, lump-free batter. If you're using vegetable-preparation|vegetables, finely chop them now; spinach can go in raw, but harder vegetables like courgette should be minced small.

Heat a non-stick frying pan or well-seasoned cast iron over medium heat. Once hot enough that a drop of water beads and rolls, coat the base evenly with butter — use about 10 g, enough to foam but not brown. Pour the entire batter in and use the back of your spatula to shape it into a pancake about 8 mm thick. Press gently; the oats will resist spreading, so you're coaxing rather than forcing. This is pan-frying in the gentlest sense: the goal is a moist crumb, not a crust.

Cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes. Watch the edges: they'll start to look set and slightly darker, and you'll see moisture beginning to evaporate from the top surface. Add chopped vegetables now if using them, pressing them lightly into the batter so they make contact with the heat. The pancake should move slightly when you shake the pan but not slide freely — that's your signal it's developed enough structure to flip. Turn it in one confident motion. If it tears or sticks, lower the heat and give it another 30 seconds before trying again.

Cook the second side for 2 minutes. Because the batter is thick and the oats absorb moisture slowly, the underside sets faster than the top. The pancake is done when a skewer inserted in the centre meets no liquid resistance and the edges are golden and slightly firm to the touch. This is breakfast-specific cooking: you want a pancake that holds together but isn't dense or rubbery.

Slide onto a plate. Serve as is, or with a splash of the remaining milk poured over if you prefer it softer. A drizzle of honey or a scatter of salt both work.