Eggs benedict pancakes

This combines two great brunch dishes in one. Sometimes I swap the ham for smoked salmon, or keep it vegetarian and just use the spinach. You can also change it up by adding ingredients to the pancake batter, such as sweetcorn or crabmeat.

SERVES 4 PREP 10 mins COOK 20 mins EASY

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp chopped chives, plus

extra to serve 200ml milk

3 eggs

25g butter, melted, plus

extra for frying

For the toppings 4 eggs 250g jar hollandaise sauce 4 slices thick-cut ham, cut in half small handful of spinach leaves

1 Whisk the flour, baking powder, chives, milk, eggs and melted butter together with some seasoning until you have a smooth batter.

2 Melt a small knob of butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat until foaming. Spoon 2 tbsp of the pancake batter into the pan, and spread into a 8-9cm round using the back of the spoon (you may be able to get two or three pancakes in the pan at once). Cook for 2-3 mins, then flip and cook for 1 min more. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 12 pancakes in total.

3 Heat the oven to its lowest setting. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a baking tray and keep them warm in the oven while you make the toppings. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, crack the eggs into individual ramekins, then, working one by one, carefully lower them into the water. Cook for 2-3 mins until the whites are set but the yolks still runny. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Heat the hollandaise sauce following pack instructions.

4 Top one pancake with a little hollandaise sauce, a ham slice, a few spinach leaves, and another pancake. Repeat the process and top the stack with a poached egg. You should have enough to make four stacks. Spoon over more hollandaise, sprinkle with extra chives and grind over a little black pepper. Serve.

GOOD TO KNOW calcium

PER SERVING 605 kcals • fat 36g • saturates 19g • carbs 46g • sugars 5g • fibre 2g • protein 23g • salt 2.1g