This puffy pancake combines an American brunch favorite with Chinese breakfast flavors of soy, pork floss, and pickles.
What is a Dutch baby?
A Dutch baby is essentially a large, puffy, oven-baked pancake. It’s incredibly versatile since it can be served sweet or savory. This take with Chinese inspired breakfast flavors is ideal for a brunch or lunch. For a dessert version, swap the chicken fat for butter and serve topped with fruit and whipped cream.
Why is it called a Dutch baby?
You may be surprised to hear the Dutch baby is not a Dutch invention. The Dutch baby originates from the US, not from Pennsylvania-Dutch culinary tradition, but from Manca’s Cafe in Seattle sometime in the early 1900s. One account suggests the word Dutch is attributed to a mistranslation of Deutsch meaning German. The “baby” in “Dutch baby” refers to the serving of three small pancakes on the menu.
Leave it to the Americans to mistranslate and misattribute cultural traditions.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken fat – AKA jīyóu 雞油 or schmaltz. Chicken fat adds a rich aroma and extra layer of savoriness. You can use chicken fat rendered yourself or purchase it from the butcher. Butter works equally well if chicken fat is not accessible.
- Pork floss – AKA ròusóng 肉鬆. This fluffy, savory substance is made from pork that is dried, shredded, then seasoned with soy sauce and sugar. There are two common varieties: pork sung and pork fu, which will both work for this recipe. Pork sung tends to have a finer and crunchier texture while pork fu is a tad softer. Find it sold in tubs in pantry aisles of Chinese grocery stores.
- Soy paste – AKA jiàngyóugāo 醬油膏. Soy paste is a condiment most popular in Taiwan, though also used in some parts of China. It has a slightly sweet flavor and thicker consistency than soy sauce. Hoisin sauce is a suitable substitute that may be easier to source from Asian grocery stores and many Western grocery stores. I used Firewood Soy Paste from Yun Hai Shop.
- Pickled mustard stem – AKA zhàcài 榨菜. Mustard stems are salted and pickled with spices for this salty condiment. I liken its use to olives, use it in places where you want a little salty punch. Pickled mustard stem is usually sold sliced and packed in small packets in pantry aisles of Chinese grocery stores.
Chinese-American-Dutch Baby
Ingredients
Dutch Baby
- 3 large eggs
- 90 g all purpose flour 3/4 cup
- 160 mL milk 2/3 cup
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 28 g chicken fat or butter 2 Tbsp
Toppings
- 2 Tbsp soy paste sub hoisin sauce
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup pork floss
- 1 Tbsp zha cai (Chinese pickles mustard stem) chopped
Instructions
- Place 8” skillet in cold oven and heat to 425F.
- In the meantime, prepare dutch baby batter. In a blender, process 3 large eggs, 90 g all purpose flour, 160 mL milk, and 1/4 tsp kosher salt until smooth. Alternatively whisk well in a mixing bowl. Stir in 2 scallions with a spatula.
- Once oven and skillet is heated, add 28 g chicken fat or butter to hot skillet and return to oven for 1 minute to melt.
- Pour batter into pan and immediately return to oven. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes until dutch baby puffs and is golden. Do not open the oven while baking so steam does not escape, as this will cause the dutch baby to deflate.
- Brush with 2 Tbsp soy paste, sprinkle with 1/4 cup pork floss, 1 Tbsp zha cai, and sliced scallions. Serve immediately.
