Recipe Series No. 2 - Torn Alpine Pancake

What is becoming embarassing to admit, I have never been to the alps. I have wanted to go for as long as I can remember. It has become the kind of wanting that shapes what I paint and what I read and, it turns out, what I cook. I have not yet stood in a high valley or sat down in a chalet at the end of a long day on a trail. So for now I do the next best thing, which is to make the food from the place I'm still longing for.

Kaiserschmarrn has become a weekend routine for my family. The name means something close to "the emperor's mess," from Kaiser, emperor, and Schmarren, an old Austrian and Bavarian word for a mishmash, a bit of nonsense.

In the alps it's eaten not only as dessert but as a real meal, served warm at huts and mountainside taverns to people who have spent the day outside. A heavy plate of it and a strong coffee after a long walk or a day skiing is exactly the afternoon I keep promising myself, in the actual place, instead of just at my own table.

The cooking is forgiving, the same way my minestrone is forgiving, but there are a few things worth getting right. The egg whites are what defines the texture. Whip them properly, to soft peaks, and fold them in with a light hand, because it's what turns a flat pancake into something closer to a cloud. Brown it more than feels safe, too. A pale Kaiserschmarrn tastes flat, and the deep golden edges are where the real flavor lives.

Then there's the flip, which is the hard part, and I won't pretend otherwise. I've have left splashes of half-cooked batter across my stovetop trying to turn a wide, runny pancake in one motion. I solved that issue for the faint of heart with this recipe, by setting the bottom on the stove and then letting the oven do the cooking and the browning before any flip is needed. By the time you turn it, it's already set and golden, and the satisfaction of landing it clean, for once, without a mess to wipe up, is its own small reward.

After that, you tear it into rough pieces with your spatula, add a little more butter, and you've got something wonderful waiting fo ryou. I plate the whole thing in a wide pasta bowl, dust generously with powdered sugar, and set it in the middle of the table for everyone to reach into at once. No need for plating, no formality. Just a mountain of torn, sugared pieces.

The communal presentation of this meal is my favorite part of it.

Someday I'll eat it in the alps, after a real day on a trail, on the balcony of a chalet as the blue hues of the alpine sky pass above me. Until then, this is how we get there.

Prost meine Freunde!

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Torn Alpine Pancake

Kaiserschmarrn - torn alpine pancake. Serves 2 to 4.

Batter

6 eggs, separated in medium size bowls

3 Tbsp sugar

1½ cups (350 ml) milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup (130 g) flour

¼ tsp salt

4 Tbsp butter, cut into 4 pieces, for the pan

1-2 tsp sugar (optional in pan at the end)

To finish: powdered sugar, fresh berries

Directions:

• Heat oven to 425°F (220°C)

• Whip egg whites with the sugar to soft peaks.

• Whisk together yolks, milk, and vanilla. Whisk in flour and salt. Fold in the meringued egg whites.

• Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a 10" ovenproof pan over medium heat. Add half the batter; cook 1-2 min.

• Place pan in stove and bake 6 to 7 min, until the top is golden. Remove from oven and place back on the stove for another minute, then flip to finish the top for another 1-2 min.

• Use spatchella to tear pancake into rough 1-2 inch pieces. For deeper color, toss with 1 Tbsp butter and 1 tsp sugar (optional) until the edges caramelize.

• Repeat with the rest of the batter. 

• Dust heavily with powdered sugar; serve with fresh berries or a favorite fruit compote

Notes:

• The oven step is not required if you are brave enough to flip the large pancake in the pan.  Cutting the pancake in half with the spatchella and then flipping can also help.

• If you are not using the oven, cook over medium low heat, cooking the bottom for 6-8 minutes until browned, and then the top another 3-4 minutes before tearing. 

• You can also serve with a favorite fruit compote.

Traditional Variation

Additionally, Kaiserschmarrn is traditionally served with Plum Compote, here’s a quick recipe:

Plum Compote

1 lb fresh plums, pitted and quartered (450g)

¼ cup cane sugar (50g)

1 Tbsp Lemon juice (15 g)

1 cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

1 Tbsp Water (or rum, for more authenticity) (15g)

Method

• Place the quartered plums, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, cloves, and water directly into a small saucepan

• Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the plums are soft but still hold their shape and the liquid has reduced

• Remove the pan from the heat. Discard the cinnamon stick and cloves, then let the compote cool slightly before serving warm

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