You’ll flip over this Shrove Tuesday tradition

At the mention of Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, I think not of carnivals, parades and costumes, I think of pancakes because, traditionally, they were baked the day before Ash Wednesday to use up animal fats before Lent. In England, pancakes were cooked on Shrove Tuesday and races were held. Local women baked the pancakes at home then ran with one in the pan. Three separate times they had to flip the cake and catch it intact in the pan.

You’ll be the one who flips when you taste our pancakes. They’re full of luscious blueberries, and, gilding the lily, they are served with a gingery sauce.

Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes

1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese or drained small-curd cottage cheese

1/4 cup butter, melted

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel (yellow part only)

8 egg whites

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Gingery Blueberry Sauce*

In a medium-sized bowl, combine ricotta, butter and egg yolks until blended. In a small bowl, stir together flour, sugar and lemon peel. Stir dry ingredients into ricotta mixture. In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold egg whites and then blueberries into batter. Over medium heat, form cakes by spooning 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or skillet. Cook cakes, turning once, until browned, about 4 minutes. Serve with Gingery Blueberry Sauce (recipe follows). Yield: 6 portions (24 pancakes).

*Gingery Blueberry Sauce

In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger).

Stir in 1/3 cup water. Over medium-high heat, bring to boil; cook and stir until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Yields about 1 1/2 cups.