Stephanie Alexander’s herbed buttermilk pancakes with burst tomatoes

Method

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to 100°C. Place egg yolks in a large bowl. Place buttermilk in a small bowl. Stir in melted butter. Add buttermilk mixture to the egg yolks and whisk until well combined. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a separate large bowl. Stir in chives and parsley. Season. Make a well in the centre. Add egg yolk mixture and use a large metal spoon to fold until a thick batter forms.

2. Step 2

   Use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. Add to the batter and gently fold to combine.

3. Step 3

   To make the burst tomatoes, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and shallots and stir to combine. Add the butter and salt. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 mins or until the tomatoes have burst and released their juice.

4. Step 4

   Melt a little ghee or butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Spoon heaped tablespoonfuls of batter around the pan. Cook for 1-2 mins or until golden underneath and bubbles appear on the surface. Turn and cook for a further 1-2 mins or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat, in batches, with the remaining pancake batter, adding a little more ghee or butter to the pan before cooking.

5. Step 5

   Divide the pancakes among serving plates. Spoon over the tomato mixture and pan juices. Season with pepper. Sprinkle with extra chives to serve.
   
   Swap me: To reduce the fat in these pancakes, use olive oil spray or canola oil spray.
   
   Use it up: You’ll have leftover buttermilk here. With a lower fat content than full-cream milk and butter, it’s great used in mashed potato or to make salad dressings.