Ingredients

• 100g/3½oz flour
• 2 free-range eggs
• large pinch salt
• 250ml/9fl oz milk
• 50g/1¾oz melted butter
• 3 free-range egg yolks
• 250g/9oz unsalted butter
• melted
• ½ lemon
• juice only
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 Parma ham slices
• 16 asparagus spears

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and preheat the grill to high.
• For the pancake batter
• place the eggs into a mixing bowl and whisk in the flour. Add the salt and half of the milk. Finally
• whisk in the butter and remaining milk to achieve a thin
• pouring cream consistency. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Melt a small knob of butter in a 20cm/8in non-stick frying pan. Once it is hot and sizzling pour in enough batter to thinly cover the base of the pan. After 30 seconds you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over
• cook the other side for a few seconds
• and then slide it out of the pan onto a plate.
• Without greasing the pan again
• repeat the process in stage three to make eight thin pancakes.
• For the hollandaise sauce
• whisk together the egg yolks with a tablespoon of water in a stainless steel saucepan set over a very low heat
• until thick and smooth.
• Remove the pan from the heat and continue to whisk while adding the melted butter in a thin stream
• leaving behind the milky residue that has settled in the bottom of the butter pan. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black peper and sharpen with lemon juice
• to taste. Keep warm.
• Boil the asparagus in salted water until tender. Once cooked
• refresh the asparagus in a bowl of iced water. Drain and pat dry.
• To assemble the délices
• place a slice of ham on top of a pancake
• then arrange three asparagus spears upon it. Roll up and place into a lightly buttered baking dish. Repeat with the remaining pancakes
• parma ham and asparagus. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes
• or until just beginning to crisp at the edges.
• Serve the délices on a serving dish and coat each one carefully with a spoonful of hollandaise sauce
• running it along their length. Very briefly flash the délices under the grill until only just gilded by the heat.