This Fluffy Austrian ‘Torn’ Pancake Turns Into Golden, Custardy Nuggets

A month ago, I made kaiserschmarrn, a shredded pancake, for my kids for a weekend breakfast at the suggestion of my neighbor (coincidentally the partner of the neighbor who challenged me to make dutch apple pie, and thus definitely someone with good taste). It was, as predicted, delicious, and as it’s the year 2019, I posted a photo of it on Instagram Stories in the moments before my children demolished it. It was only then, through an avalanche of DMs, that I learned how deeply beloved it is.

Here’s a small sampling of responses:
“You made Kaiserschmarrn!!!”
“This is Austrian!” “This is German!” “This is Czech!” “We make this in Hungary!”
“Looks spot on, just like the ones I had in Salzburg many years ago!”
“We eat this for dessert!”
“This is Christmas breakfast every year with tart jam and pureed plums!”
“We call this Emporer’s Mess.” [Apparently Franz Joseph I was very fond of it.]
“Besides apple strudel, traditional Kaiserschmarrn is one of the most famous and iconic Austrian dishes.”
“If you order it at any Austrian restaurant, it’s almost guaranteed to come with stewed plums (zwetschkenröster) and/or applesauce.”
“It’s best when cooked in butterschmalz [clarified butter or ghee].”
“I hope you skipped the rum soaked raisins — yuck.” But also: “You forgot the rum-soaked raisins!” [I didn’t but found them distracting.]
“Tip: Kaiserschmarrn is perfect when it’s still a bit creamy inside.”

plums for compote

let's make zwetschgenröster (stewed plums or plum compote) — simmer plums with sugar, water, spice — zwetschgenröster (stewed plums or plum compote)

To try it is to understand why. The batter is simple, close to that of a crepe or dutch baby, but you whip the egg whites separately and fold them in at the end, resulting in a puffy butter-fried mega-pancake. But wait, there’s more! You then shred, tear, or chop it into bite-sized pieces and continue to fry it until each is a glorious golden-edged, custardy-centered nugget. It’s finished with a drift of powdered sugar and served with tart fruit compote (I tried my hand at plum below) or applesauce and is a dream of a weekend breakfast. It could also be dessert. It could also be lunch, which is how my neighbor has been enjoying it. Mostly, I love the way it seems simple but feels a bit festive, just like I hope all of our weekends ahead are.

At-a-glance

Ingredients

Method

1. If using raisins, soak them in hot rum or fruit juice and set aside until needed.

2. Make the batter: In a large bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the milk, then whisk in the flour until mostly smooth (a few tiny lumps are fine). Let the batter rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate medium-large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until they hold firm peaks. Fold the whipped whites gently into the yolk mixture, taking care not to deflate them. If using raisins, fold them in now.

3. Cook the pancake: Heat a medium-large skillet (10–12 inches) over medium. Add 2 tablespoons butter or ghee and let it warm. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Cook 3–4 minutes, lifting an edge occasionally, until the underside is a deep golden brown; lower the heat if it’s browning too fast. If you can flip the whole pancake in one piece, do so; otherwise loosen the edges and slide it onto a plate. Invert the pan over the plate, then quickly flip the plate and pan together to return the pancake to the skillet. Cook until the second side is deeply golden, about 3 minutes.

4. Shred/tear the pancake: You can tear it into 1–2 inch pieces in the skillet with forks or a spatula, but the author prefers sliding the pancake back onto the plate and chopping it there. Melt another tablespoon of butter in the skillet to create extra crisp edges, then return the pancake shreds (and any spilled batter — it should still be quite runny inside) to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the shreds are mostly but not fully cooked through; a custardy center in each bite is ideal.

5. To serve: Pile the pancake shreds onto plates and dust generously with powdered sugar. Offer lemon wedges, jam, applesauce, fresh berries, or stewed plums/plum compote (zwetschgenröster). Serve immediately.

A quick plum compote (zwetschgenröster)

Combine plums, sugar, water, cinnamon (stick or ground) and cloves in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is saucy and tender and can be broken with the side of a spoon, about 20 minutes (up to 25 minutes if you want a more broken-down compote). Stir in the juice of half a lemon and let cool until needed.

Prune-style plums are traditional; the author used out-of-season black plums from the grocery store and still found the result delicious.

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