Depending on how fatty your bacon is, put 1 - 3 tsp of oil in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat.

When the oil's hot add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until it's cooked through and turning crispy.

Tip: if there's now a lot of fat in the pan remove all but 3 tsp.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, onion and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt (omit if your bacon is particularly salty) and ¼ tsp of pepper.

Cook, stirring often, until the onion has taken on some colour and is softening (approx. 8 minutes).

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour so it is combined with the other ingredients. Put back on the heat and cook for 1 minute stirring all the time.

Off the heat again, stir in approximately 150 ml of the milk while you stir to prevent any lumps forming. Gradually add the rest of the milk while stirring so it's completely smooth.

Put back on the heat and keep stirring until it thickens and bubbles. Cook for 1 minute then turn the heat off and remove the pan from the burner.

Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Set aside until only just warm (transferring the filling from the pan to a bowl will speed this up).

When it's at this stage, stir in the diced chicken and the parsley then transfer to the fridge until completely cold.

Tip: can be stored covered in the fridge for 24 hours.

Take 3 wide shallow dishes and in the first put a generous amount of plain flour. Beat the eggs in the second dish. Put the fine breadcrumbs in the third.

Take one of the cold pancakes and put it on a board.

Place ⅛ of the filling on one half of the pancake, leaving a 1 - 2 cm bare border.

Brush some of the beaten egg all around the border then fold over the other half of the pancake to enclose the filling: you should have a semi-circle shape.

Press down gently to remove any air, then go around the edge pressing down firmly to seal.

Set aside on a board or tray and repeat with the remaining pancakes and filling.

Put the first pancake in the dish of flour and turn it over until completely covered.

Pat off excess flour then put the pancake in the beaten egg. Carefully turn so it's covered in egg and allow excess to drip off.

Place in the dish of crumbs then wash and dry your hands.

Turn the pancake in the crumbs until completely covered then transfer to a board or tray.

Repeat with the remaining pancakes.

Tip: can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours.

Optional if you want to keep the fried pancakes warm preheat your oven to 180°C /160°C Fan /Gas 4 / 350°F with some trays inside.

Add oil to a deep frying pan or deep fat fryer so that it will come halfway up the sides of the pancakes but without the pan being more than ⅔ full. Heat to medium.

Carefully slide a pancake into the oil (you can fry more than one at a time if your pan is big enough) and cook until golden, crispy and very hot inside, turning at least once (approximately 4 minutes in total for each pancake)

Transfer to the oven to keep warm then repeat with the remaining pancakes.

Tips

- If the pancakes darken too quickly reduce the heat.

- If the pancakes split (perhaps because you didn't press out all the air or there were gaps in the coating) finish cooking in the oven.

Serve hot.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge or frozen.

Reheat gently in a moderate oven or air fryer. Can also be reheated in microwave but will not be crispy.