1. Separate the eggs and whisk the whites in a clean, dry bowl to stiff peaks. Add the sugar and whisk until you have a glossy meringue.

2. Whisk the four yolks, buttermilk, vanilla, flour, baking powder and soda, cornflour and salt together until combined.

3. Fold in the meringue gently with a spatula.

4. Preheat a heavy-bottomed non-stick pan over a medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Drop a knob of butter in the pan – you want it to sizzle and foam when it hits the pan, but not brown and smoke.

5. Use a ladle to place a scoop of batter on the pan, and spread it around slightly so it is nice and round and even. Fry until the bottom is golden brown, and you can see some bubbles in the top. Carefully flip on to the other side and fry until golden brown – it should take about 90 seconds to two minutes each side. Serve immediately.