Blueberry Pancakes with Spiced Orange Syrup

Ingredients

• orange — zested1 ea
• orange juice250 ml
• caster sugar165 g
• cinnamon stick — broken in half1 ea
• star anise2 ea
• crème fraîche125 ml
• vanilla bean paste — 1 tsp5 ml
• icing sugar — 1 tbsp; sifted10 g
• milk375 ml
• white vinegar60 ml
• plain flour — sifted300 g
• baking powder — 3 tsp; sifted14 g
• salt — ½ tsp3 g
• caster sugar — 4 tbsp70 g
• eggs2 ea
• vanilla extract — 2 tsp10 ml
• butter — melted45 g
• blueberries — fresh or frozen; thawed225 g
• butter — chilled, for greasing the pan30 g

Method

1. For the syrup, combine the orange zest, orange juice, 165 g caster sugar, cinnamon stick and 2-4 star anise in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse further.
2. For the vanilla crème fraîche, combine the crème fraîche, vanilla bean paste and 1-2 tablespoons icing sugar in a medium bowl and whisk until medium peaks form. Chill until needed.
3. Combine the milk and vinegar in a bowl. Stir briefly and set aside: this is mock buttermilk. The real thing is best but can be hard to find.
4. Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the milk and vinegar mix, eggs, vanilla, 4 tablespoons caster sugar and melted butter. Stir as little as possible with a whisk until just combined.
5. Heat a small non-stick frypan over medium heat. Stab a 4 cm cube of chilled butter halfway with a fork and slide it around the pan to coat. Wait for it to foam a little.
6. Ladle about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan, then gently press about 10 blueberries evenly over the surface. Once the surface looks a little bubbly, flip with a spatula and cook until deep golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is used.
7. Serve warm with the spiced orange syrup and vanilla crème fraîche.