Ingredients

• 275g/9¾oz self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 free-range eggs
• ½ tsp flaked sea salt
• 225ml/8fl oz semi-skimmed milk
• plus 25ml/1fl oz
• 100ml/3½fl oz plain yoghurt
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley
• 1–2 tbsp sunflower oil
• freshly snipped chives
• to garnish (optional)
• flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 free-range egg yolks
• 200g/7oz salted butter
• cubed
• 4 very fresh free-range eggs
• 4–8 good-quality slices ham
• depending on size and thickness

Directions

• Put the flour
• baking powder
• eggs
• salt
• the 225ml/8fl oz milk and the yoghurt in a large bowl and whisk together with an electric whisk until smooth. Stir in the parsley and lots of black pepper.
• Pour a little of the oil into a large frying pan set over a medium-high heat. Wipe around the base of the pan with kitchen paper to lightly grease. Take care as it will be extremely hot.
• Drop four ladlesful of the pancake mixture into the frying pan
• spacing well apart. Each one should spread slowly to be around 9cm/3½in in diameter. Cook for 2 minutes
• or until the pancakes rise
• bubbles appear and their surface appears dry at the edges. Flip over with a palette knife and cook on the other side for a further 1½–2 minutes until pale golden-brown.
• Transfer the cooked pancakes to a warmed plate
• cover with foil and a dry tea towel to help retain the heat. Cook the remaining four pancakes in exactly the same way
• greasing the pan with a little oil between each batch. If the pancake mixture begins to get too thick to pour
• simply whisk in a little extra milk.
• For the hollandaise sauce
• while the pancakes are cooking
• fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a very gentle simmer. Put the vinegar
• mustard and egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until very pale and creamy.
• Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat until frothy. Gradually add the hot butter to the egg yolk mixture
• whisking constantly until the sauce is thick and glossy. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the poached egg and ham
• break the whole eggs into the pan of simmering water
• one at a time. Cook for 2½–3 minutes
• or until the whites are set and the yolks remain runny.
• Divide the pancakes between four warmed plates. Top with folded slices of ham. Lift the eggs out of the water with a slotted spoon and place on top of the ham. Pour over the hollandaise sauce
• season with black pepper
• garnish with snipped chives if you like
• and serve.