German Herb Pancakes with Asparagus, Ham, and Hollandaise
Savory herb pancakes are filled with slices of salty ham and spears of steamed asparagus... then topped with a creamy, rich Hollandaise sauce. This dish makes a tasty lunch or dinner.
Equipment
- 1 Saute Pan
- 1 Blender or Food Processor
- 1 pot or pan for cooking asparagus
Ingredients
Herb Pancakes
- 2 cup White Flour 250 g
- 2 cup Milk 500 ml
- 3 eggs
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 2-3 Teaspoons Fresh Chopped Chives
- 3-4 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Parsley
- 2-3 Chopped Green onions optional!
- 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil for frying
Asparagus
- ¾ pound Green Asparagus (can substitute white)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (not essential, but nice)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Ham
- ¾ pound Black Forest Ham Thin Slices from the Deli Counter are fine
Blender Hollandaise Sauce
- 10 Tablespoons Butter (⅝ cup/ 140 gram) Unsalted
- 3 large Egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Herb Pancakes
- Place the flour, milk, salt, and eggs in a blender. Blend until smooth. Stop to scrape the sides occasionally. Let rest 20 minutes.
- If you just have one blender bowl, transfer the batter to another bowl, and let it rest. Wash the blender so it's ready for the Hollandaise Sauce.
- Preheat a saute pan with a small amount of the oil over medium heat. Set a platter next to the stove.
- Reserve ⅓ of the parsley for decoration, then add the onion (if using) and herbs to the rested batter, stir until they are mixed in.
- Use a scoop or ladle to add ½ cup of batter to the hot pan. Swirl it around. Then let it sit. Use a spatula to check underneath. When it's browning, flip it over. (about a minute or so). Let cook for another 45 seconds to a minute, check that it's browned underneath. Slide the pancake out of the pan onto the waiting platter.
- Repeat until you've used up all the batter. Occasionally you will want to add more oil to the pan... I find that you need to do that every other pancake.
Asparagus
- Wash and trim the asparagus to get the woody part off of the bottom. I usually snap the spear where it feels hard. (You can save the bottoms for stock).
- Add 1-2 inches of water to the bottom of a large pan. Add lemon juice and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
- Add the Asparagus- Cook until tender. Thin Stalks- 1-2 minutesThicker- 5-7 minutesPoke with a knife...it should go in easily.
- Drain the cooked asparagus, and rinse briefly in cool water to stop the cooking process. Put on a plate and set aside.
Hollandaise Sauce
- Put the egg yolks, salt, and lemon juice in a blender bowl. Blend for 30-40 seconds. It should look lighter.
- Melt the butter. I used a microwave, and it worked well. You want it melted and HOT, but you don't want to start evaporating the water from the butter. (In my microwave I went 1 minute in a glass measuring cup covered with plastic wrap.
- With the blender running, SLOWLY pour the hot melted butter into egg mixture through the feed hole at the top. It will begin to thicken and look like sauce.
- If it breaks (looks curdled) add a tablespoon of water and blend again.If it breaks again, use a packet mix.
Assembly
- Lay an Herb Pancake on the plate (or serving platter, if you are going family style) Top with a slice (or 2) of the ham, add a few spears of asparagus, then fold. Serve with Hollandaise Sauce.
Notes
I usually start with the pancake batter, and make the asparagus while the batter is resting. You will end up with 6-9 pancakes, depending on the size of your pan, and how generous you are with the batter. I used 1/2 cup for an 8 inch pan.
Generally I cook the asparagus in boiling water for this dish, but you can grill it, broil it, or use whatever method you prefer. If using canned white Asparagus, just drain and heat a bit.
The Hollandaise looks its best when you eat it right away, so save that for last. (Or keep it warm in a double boiler.) Or just use a packet mix, and whisk it up when you are ready to eat.
You can make this a vegetarian meal by leaving out the ham.