Have a Dutch Baby for Dinner
This dish, although traditionally served as a sweet breakfast, makes an excellent quick savory dinner. Here are three ways to savory inspiration as well as one sweet.
This quick dinner brings me a lot of joy.
I’m passionate about eating many different things, but one of those things is eating out of skillets. It feels instantly like a special occasion away from the civilized world of plates, even though it is more a symbol of a humble supper than an extravagant affair. Skillet meals are often the easiest of meals wrapped up in the dressings of something much more exciting.
This contradiction is why I love eating a Dutch Baby so much (and no, I’m not talking cannibalism). A Dutch Baby, also known as a German pancake, is a sort of very thin pancake batter that puffs up rapidly in a hot cast iron pan (or any oven-proof container). The end result is much like a popover, but much larger and with a flat bottom. The English may also get upset with this description, calling it a Yorkshire Pudding instead. All I know are these three important facts:
It is fast— you can put in 5-10 minutes of effort and have dinner on the table in 30 minutes.
It is versatile— I’ll show you all the ways you can dress up the same dish, and I’m sure you can come up with ways on your own.
It is delicious— you are sure to be delighted with the end result, no matter which route you take.
With no further introduction, I present to you the Dutch Baby recipe. This base is adapted from Florence Fabricant’s Traditional Dutch Baby in the New York Times, but has been altered slightly to my preferences.
The Dutch Baby Base
Ingredients:
3 eggs
60 g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
123 g (1/2 cup) milk of choice
pinch of salt
57 g (4 tablespoons) butter
General Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have your cast iron pan or your oven-proof skillet in the oven during this preheat.
Whisk or blend all ingredients together except for the butter.
Put your butter in the skillet in your oven and shut the door- watch with the light on as the butter melts. As soon as the butter is melted and bubbling, open the oven and carefully pour in the batter. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Do not open your oven for the first 20 minutes.
Too easy, right? Here are some ways to make the dish more exciting:
The “Omelet and a Salad” Dinner, Maybe with Some Lox
Treat this scenario like a light omelette dinner. Cut up a bunch of fine herbs (traditionally known as a mixture of chives, tarragon, and chervil, but some dill would be nice as well). When you pour the batter into the skillet. add 1/4 cup shredded parmesan and 1/2 of your herbs to the top the batter before closing the oven. When the dutch baby is nearly finished, dress a spinach salad with either whatever vinaigrette is in your fridge or with lemon and olive oil. Add any other raw vegetables you may be trying up use up. Place the salad in the center of the Dutch Baby before serving. Add some lox if desired and garnish with the rest of your herbs. Serve immediately, or the salad will wilt and the pancake will deflate.
Bacon-and-Cheese Dutch Baby
Before you add your butter, start by rendering out about 4 slices of bacon in your pan on the stove. When the bacon has browned on the edges, add your butter and have it melt, then proceed to pour the batter into the pan. Top with about 220 g (8 ounces) of your cheese of choice (I would go with gorgonzola, gruyere, or goat cheese) and a couple tablespoons of chopped herbs (some thyme or chives would be nice). Bake for 25-30 minutes and finish with more herbs and arugula if desired. Serve immediately to prevent the greens from wilting and the pancake will deflate.
Kimchi-Scallion Dutch Baby
This gluten-free version resembles a pajeon (Korean Seafood Pancake) more than it does its inspiration. Either way, the edges are super crispy and delicious.
This recipe looks a little different from the other options because I wanted to create a gluten-free version that mimicked the ingredients used in a Pajeon, or a traditional Korean Seafood Pancake. The adjusted batter recipe is mentioned below; if you would prefer a higher rise, stick to the original version of the batter.
3 eggs
160 g (2/3 cup) milk
32 g (1/3 cup) cornstarch
60 g (1/3 cup) rice flour
salt and gochujaru flakes (optional)
57 g (4 tablespoons) neutral oil subbed for butter as well.
I started my pan on the stove instead of in the oven for this one on high. Once the oil was starting to smoke, I threw in a handful of kimchi and some chopped scallion greens to coat the bottom of the pan, but not overcrowd it. I then baked the Dutch Baby for 25-30 minutes. Serve with ginger, rice wine vinegar, and soy dipping sauce, or top with avocado, a fried egg, and some cilantro.
Bananas Foster Dutch Baby
If you have browning bananas lying around this is a great way to use them. Add a half a banana to the blender when you a re making the batter, as well as a tablespoon of rum (optional-sub vanilla extract if desired). Slice the other half of the banana, as well as 2-3 other bananas— if they are too soft, mash them a bit instead. Then, when the butter is bubbling, add the bananas to the bottom of the pan, followed by the batter. Bake the Dutch Baby for 25-30 minutes. Serve topped with powdered sugar and with maple syrup if desired.
That’s all! Let me know if you try either version— I’d love to hear how it goes.
