To celebrate pancake day, we are turning a classic brunch favourite into something a little more special: Eggs Benedict Pancake Stack. This dish combines the heartiness of fluffy buttermilk pancakes with the rich, comforting flavours of eggs Benedict. It’s a perfect choice for a leisurely weekend breakfast or a fancy brunch with friends.
We’ll start by making light and airy pancakes using flour, eggs, and buttermilk, jazzed up with a touch of chives for a subtle onion-like flavour. The pancakes serve as a base for the layers that follow.
Next, we’ll tackle the eggs and ham. The eggs, poached of course, will sit on top of warmed slices of good quality ham, covered in the creamy homemade hollandaise sauce. This sauce, a mixture of butter, egg yolks, and white wine vinegar, might sound fancy, but it’s surprisingly straightforward to whip up.
Lastly, we’ll assemble our stack. Pancakes at the bottom, followed by fresh spinach, ham, a poached egg, and a generous drizzle of hollandaise. A final sprinkle of chives adds a pop of colour and flavour.
This recipe, while easy to follow, promises a dish that’s both visually impressive and deliciously satisfying. So, grab your ingredients, and let’s create a brunch that’s sure to impress!
Eggs Benedict Pancake Stack
For the pancakes
- 2 eggs
- 375ml buttermilk
- 250g plain flour
- 1 tbp caster sugar
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp of chives (chopped)
For the eggs and ham
- 4 eggs (fridge cold)
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 slices thick good quality ham (warmed)
- Handful spinach leaves
- Bunch of chives (chopped to serve)
For the sauce
- 250g butter
- 4 egg yokes
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
Directions
- In a blender add the eggs, butter milk, flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and whizz up until it’s frothy, then add the chopped chives and stir though.
- Heat a frying pan and lightly melt a small amount of butter. You don’t need much.
- Begin making your pancakes in batches. Pour a cup of the batter into the pan (creating roughly 10cm circles) and cook for about 2 minutes.
- When bubbles appear on top, flip the pancake over and cook for another 2 minutes then remove them to a plate and keep warm. Butter your pan again before making the next pancake and keep going until your batter is used up.
- To make the sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan (or you can use a microwave) and set aside.
- Then separately, combine the egg yokes with the vinegar and a drop of cold water. Whisk well then very gently heat in a bowl over simmering water. Whisk continuously for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens.
- Next, slowly add the melted butter to the egg mixture and stir until you have a creamy hollandaise sauce. Keep warm while you poach your eggs.
- To poach the eggs, fill a wide pan with water and bring to the boil. Add a little salt and the white wine vinegar, then allow the water to simmer over a medium heat.
- Gently add the eggs to the water (it’s easier to crack the eggs into a teacup or ramekin first). Put the lid on and turn the heat off. The eggs will be softly poached and ready in 3 minutes.
- Assemble pancake stacks beginning with two pancakes each, topped with spinach and a slice of ham. Crown the stack with a poached egg and a generous ladle of hollandaise and a sprinkle of chives to serve.
