What happens when you are making a pancake? You go by the rulebook until the batter hits the hot pan. And then accidents happen! The batter dismantles and instead of the perfect round pancakes you are left with bits and pieces of what can be described as scrambled pancakes. If that becomes the scenario, don’t throw away the bits and pieces. Keep cooking and you will make the Austrian delight called the Kaiserschmarrn.
This Austrian dish also evolved out of an accident and was definitely not a planned recipe. According to the most popular origin story of the dish, the royal chef of Emperor Franz Joseph I set out to make a thin pancake which tore into shreds while flipping. To do crisis management, the royal chef cooked the torn pieces, caramelised it and dusted with icing sugar before serving it to the Royal. Interestingly, the Emperor loved this ‘mistake’ dish and that is how it got its name where Kaiser means the Emperor and Schmarrn means shredded. Other origin stories also talk about the dish being a favourite among the farmers and shepherds of the Alpines, the Central European peasant cuisine and a dessert made for the Empress Elisabeth which was equally liked by the Emperor himself.
How to make Kaiserschmarrn at home?
Even though the name might sound heavy, the recipe is simple and easy to make. Mix egg yolks, milk, flour, vanilla, sugar and salt into a batter. Beat egg whites till you get the stiff peak consistency. Fold the whites into the batter. Melt butter on a pan. Pour the batter to make a pancake. Cook it as you would have cooked a pancake, at least 4-5 minutes on each side. Then tear the pancake into pieces. Sprinkle sugar and caramelize it. Once done, dust it with icing sugar and serve with fruit compote of your choice. This dessert is definitely heavy and sweet and thus occasional consumption is preferred rather than regularizing it as part of your diet.
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