Recipe: Surprise mom with a large, puffy, eggy baked Dutch Baby, filled with smoked salmon

Boston Globe

06-05-2025

Serves 4
Dutch baby, a large, puffy, baked eggy pancake, is perfect for a Mother's Day brunch. As the story of its origin goes (true or not, food legends persist), in Seattle in the early 20th century, Manca's Cafe served German pancakes. The owner's daughter could not pronounce the word ''Deutsch'' (which means German), so the specialty became Dutch Baby. It's a nice story, but the big pancake goes by another name in Germany, writes Karen Lodder on the blog German Girl in America. She says that the traditional large German pancake, called pfannkuchen, is always cooked on top of the stove. In Austria, kaiserschmarrn, also a large round, is cooked in the oven, then torn up for serving. The Finns make pannukakku, plate-size pancakes. A sweet Dutch Baby has a little sugar in the batter and is often served with fruit and powdered sugar, but there are plenty of savory possibilities. Here, a small amount of buckwheat flour (or whole-wheat) is added to all-purpose flour to create an earthy quality that pairs beautifully with smoked salmon. Heat a skillet in the oven until it's very hot while you make the batter. Swirl some butter around the bottom and sides of the hot pan, pour in the batter, pop it into the oven, and wait. The pancake emerges with a dramatic but ephemeral puff and the pancake flattens after a minute or two. That's your invitation to fill the hollow with thin slices of salmon, sweet and crunchy pickled red onions, and lots of fresh herbs.
ONIONS ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1. In a microwave-safe bowl or heatproof class measuring cup, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Cover loosely with a paper towel. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves. Alternatively, in a saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove the bowl from the microwave. Stir in the onions. Cover again with the paper towel and return to the microwave to cook for 1 minute. Let stand, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until cool. Stovetop alternative: Add the onions to the saucepan, return the liquid to a boil, cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the onions in the brine to cool.
PANCAKE 4 eggs
¾ cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup buckwheat flour, whole-wheat flour, or extra all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, torn into 3-inch pieces, if large
Few sprigs fresh parsley
Few sprigs fresh dill
½ cup sour cream (for serving)
1 lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Set a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (such as cast-iron) in the oven to heat for 15 minutes, or until very hot.
2. In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, all-purpose flour, and buckwheat, whole-wheat, or extra all-purpose flour with the salt. Blend on high speed until frothy and thoroughly combined.
3. Remove the skillet from the oven carefully. Keep a potholder on the handle to remind you that it's hot. Swirl the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the hot skillet. Pour in the batter. Sprinkle the top with chives.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed and lightly browned.
5. Remove the pancake from the oven. (Keep a potholder on the handle.) When it deflates, fill it with smoked salmon, dill, parsley, and a few of the pickled onions.
6. Serve with sour cream, lemon wedges, and extra pickled onions.
Sally Pasley Vargas
Serves 4
Dutch baby, a large, puffy, baked eggy pancake, is perfect for a Mother's Day brunch. As the story of its origin goes (true or not, food legends persist), in Seattle in the early 20th century, Manca's Cafe served German pancakes. The owner's daughter could not pronounce the word ''Deutsch'' (which means German), so the specialty became Dutch Baby. It's a nice story, but the big pancake goes by another name in Germany, writes Karen Lodder on the blog German Girl in America. She says that the traditional large German pancake, called pfannkuchen, is always cooked on top of the stove. In Austria, kaiserschmarrn, also a large round, is cooked in the oven, then torn up for serving. The Finns make pannukakku, plate-size pancakes. A sweet Dutch Baby has a little sugar in the batter and is often served with fruit and powdered sugar, but there are plenty of savory possibilities. Here, a small amount of buckwheat flour (or whole-wheat) is added to all-purpose flour to create an earthy quality that pairs beautifully with smoked salmon. Heat a skillet in the oven until it's very hot while you make the batter. Swirl some butter around the bottom and sides of the hot pan, pour in the batter, pop it into the oven, and wait. The pancake emerges with a dramatic but ephemeral puff and the pancake flattens after a minute or two. That's your invitation to fill the hollow with thin slices of salmon, sweet and crunchy pickled red onions, and lots of fresh herbs.
ONIONS
⅓ cup distilled white vinegar ¼ cup water 3 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1. In a microwave-safe bowl or heatproof class measuring cup, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Cover loosely with a paper towel. Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves. Alternatively, in a saucepan, bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2. Remove the bowl from the microwave. Stir in the onions. Cover again with the paper towel and return to the microwave to cook for 1 minute. Let stand, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until cool. Stovetop alternative: Add the onions to the saucepan, return the liquid to a boil, cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the onions in the brine to cool.
PANCAKE
4 eggs ¾ cup whole milk 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted ½ cup all-purpose flour ¼ cup buckwheat flour, whole-wheat flour, or extra all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives 3 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, torn into 3-inch pieces, if large Few sprigs fresh parsley Few sprigs fresh dill ½ cup sour cream (for serving) 1 lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Set a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (such as cast-iron) in the oven to heat for 15 minutes, or until very hot.
2. In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, all-purpose flour, and buckwheat, whole-wheat, or extra all-purpose flour with the salt. Blend on high speed until frothy and thoroughly combined.
3. Remove the skillet from the oven carefully. Keep a potholder on the handle to remind you that it's hot. Swirl the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the hot skillet. Pour in the batter. Sprinkle the top with chives.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed and lightly browned.
5. Remove the pancake from the oven. (Keep a potholder on the handle.) When it deflates, fill it with smoked salmon, dill, parsley, and a few of the pickled onions.
6. Serve with sour cream, lemon wedges, and extra pickled onions. Sally Pasley Vargas