For most humans on this planet, pancakes are a simple, last-ditch recipe, perfect when you have nothing else in your pantry and you (or, more likely, your kids) wake up hungry NOW. The time-tested recipe beloved by half-assing fathers everywhere, pancakes are as easy a breakfast food as you can get. Throw some mix in a bowl with a little oil, eggs, and milk, whisk it together, fry it in the skillet while you skim the newspaper, slather with syrup, eat. If you’re feeling silly, maybe make one look like Mickey Mouse. If you want to feel like you’re rich or at a resort, put some fuckin’ blueberries or strawberries on top of them. That’s about it.
But one of the most time-honored tenets of a Gwyneth Paltrow recipe is: the easiest recipes can always be made difficult, often for no reason at all. “Tomorrow morning I think I’ll make Gwyneth’s dad’s pancakes,” I decided while I was cooking Perfect Roasted Chinese Duck. Thankfully, I took a look at the recipe beforehand, where I noticed one important statement: “Total preparation time: 20 minutes plus overnight resting.” Overnight resting?! Of course Gwyneth’s pancakes take 16 hours to cook. Why am I even surprised, so many years into this project. So, while I cooked the duck, I also whisked together some pancake batter. This is what cool kids do on the weekend.
The Danny/Gwyneth Project 