Blueberry Pancakes for "Haven" (+ Blueberry Compote)

          For a while now I've been watching Syfy channel's "Haven", a paranormal cop-ish drama series set in present day Maine in the made up town of Haven. My parents have been watching "Haven" for years, mainly because my dad is from Maine, but also because of the show's small town setting, the cast of characters, and the mysterious happenings in each episode. They recommended it to me a long while ago and once I found the first few seasons on Netflix and started watching, I got hooked. In the very first episode, pancakes were linked to one of the main characters, Detective Nathan Wuornos (I love it when writers do that!). Since then, pancakes have been mentioned several times and are inextricably connected to Nathan and his character/personality.

Nathan: Welcome to Haven. You like pancakes? We've got good pancakes.
Audrey: What about lobster? I mean, isn't Maine famous for lobster?
Nathan: I don't like lobster. I really like pancakes.

          As I pondered what type of pancakes Nathan might like (they had to be fluffy buttermilk, of course) I remembered that Maine is famous for blueberries (Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, anyone?) and I also remembered my dad telling my sister and me how he used to tap maple trees with his family as a kid (i.e. harvest fresh/pure maple syrup). So when my dad recently took a trip to Maine to visit family, I asked him to pick up some Maine blueberries and a jar of maple syrup, which he later mailed to me. Thanks, Dad. You rock.

Note: There's a brand of blueberries from Maine called Wyman's that you might find in your grocery store's freezer section, otherwise, it's okay to use non-Maine berries, but your pancakes won't be as authentic.
          Also, there are two recipes below, the first is for the blueberry buttermilk pancakes, and the second is for a compote (sauce) made from blueberries and maple syrup. It's really great on plain pancakes which you can make by following the pancake recipe below, only don't put any blueberries in the batter.

Nathan Wuornos' Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

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Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs, beaten
2 Cups Buttermilk (or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice plus enough milk to get to 2 cups total, then stirred)
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted, plus more for frying
1 Cup Blueberries (fresh or Frozen)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients (the 1st 5) & in another bowl whisk the wet ingredients (the next 3). Pour the wet into the dry & stir until you get a combined, lumpy batter (don't over mix or your pancakes will be flat!).

2. On an electric skillet at 350°F or in a large frying pan over medium heat, melt some butter & spread it around. Use a 1/3 cup measure to scoop circles of batter & then sprinkle some of the blue berries on top. Cook until the batter gets bubbly & then flip over & cook for about 2 minutes more. Serve with maple syrup on top (from Maine if you can get it)!
Serving Suggestion: Eat with maple sausages, scrambled eggs, & sugared, baked bacon (line a baking tray with foil, place wire baking racks on top, place on strips of raw bacon, sprinkle with sugar or brush with maple syrup, & bake in a 350°F oven for about 20 mins or until the bacon is the way you like it)!
Note: If you want to make plain buttermilk pancakes, simply omit the blueberries. Make the blueberry & maple syrup compote below to put on top!

Blueberry Maple Syrup Compote

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Ingredients:
2 Cups Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp. Water
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp. (a pinch) Cinnamon

Directions:

1. Puree 1 cup of the blueberries with the lemon juice & set aside (I actually used 1 cup of the canned blueberries my dad gave me, but drained them first). In a pot over medium heat boil the water & maple syrup. Reduce the heat & cook it down until it thickens, about 5 mins. Sprinkle in some cinnamon & stir in the remaining cup of blueberries. Cook until the berries start to wrinkle & split open. Remove from heat & stir in the blueberry puree. Serve on top of plain buttermilk pancakes.
Serving Suggestion: Spoon on vanilla ice cream for an extra awesome treat!

* For more foods tied to characters in "Haven", read this "Team Carbs" post on the "Haven" fansite. *