Fluffiest-ever American pancakes with bacon, maple-salted butter sauce and avocado

Makes 8 x 12cm Starters and mains

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Method

Preheat the oven to 120C/250F/ Gas 1⁄2 and put a baking tray with a wire rack inside in the oven to keep the pancakes warm.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar.

In a separate bowl whisk the buttermilk with 4 tablespoons of melted butter and egg yolks. Slowly pour into the dry ingredients and mix gently to combine.

Put the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until they form medium peaks but are still soft in the middle. Gently fold half the egg whites into the batter, using the whisk at first and then a spatula, turning the bowl while folding. Add the remaining egg whites in the same way. The batter should be slightly lumpy for the best results, with large parts of egg white not fully incorporated.

Heat a non-stick crêpe pan over a medium heat. You’ll know that the pan is hot enough when water sprinkled on to the surface bounces and splutters; it’s too hot if it evaporates instantly.

Reduce the heat to medium- low. Brush the crêpe pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter and wipe off any of the excess with kitchen paper.

Drop 2-3 tablespoons of the batter into the pan from the tip of the spoon for each pancake. Dot over the blueberries, if using.

Cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles start to form and pop on the surface of the pancake and it is slightly dry around the edges and lightly golden underneath. Flip over and cook for a further 2 minutes or until lightly golden. Place the pancakes in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as required.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a dry frying pan over a high heat or under a grill for 5 minutes. Mash the avocados with a fork then mix in the lime zest and juice and season with black pepper.

To make the maple salted-butter sauce, heat the maple syrup in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Whisk in the cold butter until it has melted and the sauce is smooth. Turn off the heat and keep warm until ready to use.

Serve the pancakes topped with the mashed avocado, crisp bacon and a good drizzling of the maple salted-butter sauce.