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American pancakes are not Poland's naleśniki! [45]
yes the beaten whites act as a natural leavening agent. And a much milder tasting one than the baking powder or soda.
Not everybody beats the egg whites. In this day and age probably only chefs in a Michelin starred restaurant. Standards are slipping Polly in more ways than just your favourites. However, the basic thing is to incorporate air in the mixture while you're stirring it. If you do it properly you will see air bubbles. The pancakes will still be very thin and flat (but then that's how they should be), but they will feel liight.
I think the nearest thing to American pancakes would be the English muffin which was once a popular breakfast dish. The crumpet was eaten at afternoon tea and the muffin at breakfast but both use yeast as the leavening agent. The ingredients in a muffin are almost identical to an American pancake, flour, raising agent (yeast), milk, sugar, egg and a little butter and they are fried. However because of the yeast you need to allow proving time. They're more bread-like than the American pancake.
Battered fish is very good.
It's one of the most delicious ways to eat fish if it's done properly, oil at the right temperature is crucial. Despite being deep fried the fish comes out so light and moist and not oily at all. I believe we have the Italians to thank for fish and chips. I think they introduced it to London. Certainly the first 'chippers' in Ireland, as we called the fish and chip shops, were all run by Italians. Best chipper in Ireland is Leo Burdocks though founded by a Dubliner over a hundred years. The fish is mouthwatering and the chips are done to perfection. It's a tiny little take-away and always jammed with people. You have to eat your fish and chips out of the paper outside. We would usually go to the nearby park in the grounds of St Patrick's cathedral and contemplate its ecclesiastical wonders whilst stuffing ourselves :))