Authentic Kaiserschmarrn Recipe Austria, Europe
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Regardless of what its name might imply, kaiserschmarrn (lit. the Emperor's mess), whether served as a dessert or a main dish, is one of the staples of Austrian cuisine. This light, fluffy pancake is made with eggs, flour, and milk topped with raisins soaked in rum and fried in butter. The cooked pancake is then cut into pieces, sprinkled with butter shavings and crystal sugar, and caramelized under a broiler. The finished dish is served on preheated plates and dusted with cinnamon and caster sugar.
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Cooking tips
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method
There are two methods for cooking this dish; in the oven and on the stove. For caramelizing at the end, besides doing it under the oven boiler, you can also do this step on the stove by covering the pan with a lid. -
sauces, jams, fruits
You can serve this sweet shredded pancake with a variety of fruit sauces, jams, and compotes. Kaiserschmarrn is traditionally served with baked plums, berry sauce, or compote — use store-bought ones to speed up the preparation. -
ingredients
Although the traditional recipe instructs incorporating rum-soaked raisins into the batter, feel free to experiment with the flavors and texture by adding pieces of nuts, fruits like cherries and plums, or apple jam. -
technique
If you prefer a lighter, fluffier texture, beat the egg whites separately and carefully fold them into the remaining batter.
Recipe variations
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Wolfgang Puck's Kaiserschmarrn Soufflé
Ready in 2hThis recipe adapted from the website of Wolfgang Puck, an Austrian-born American restaurateur, and chef, is a more elaborative twist on this classic Austrian dish. The pancake is given more of a soufflé texture, which is obtained by folding the meringue into the base batter. The strawberry sauce is made from scratch, preferably a few days in advance, although you can skip this step and use a store-bought one instead.
Wolfgang Puck's Kaiserschmarrn Soufflé
PREP 1h
COOK 1h
READY IN 2h
This recipe adapted from the website of Wolfgang Puck, an Austrian-born American restaurateur, and chef, is a more elaborative twist on this classic Austrian dish. The pancake is given more of a soufflé texture, which is obtained by folding the meringue into the base batter. The strawberry sauce is made from scratch, preferably a few days in advance, although you can skip this step and use a store-bought one instead.
Ingredients
STRAWBERRY SAUCE — 1 ½ cups (300 ml)
8 oz (225g) strawberries, hulled
3 tbsp sugar
whole star anise
1/2 tbsp orange zest
juice of 1/2 orange
1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine
1/2 tbsp fresh organic lemon juice
BATTER
4 egg yolks
4 ½ oz (125g) sugar
1 cup (240g) crème fraîche
1 oz (30 ml) dark rum
4 tsp flour
2 tbsp golden raisins
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
2 tbsp sugar, for coating
3 egg whites
1 lb (450g) fresh strawberries, hulled, cut in halves
TO FINISH
confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Preparation
The strawberry sauce is best prepared in advance, even up to 3 days ahead. In a saucepan, mix the ingredients and bring to boil, then let cook for about 5 minutes. When cooked, cover with a plastic wrap to infuse the flavor for the next 10 minutes. Process the sauce well in a blender and strain.
Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C.
Mix egg yolks with 3 oz (90g) of sugar until pale yellow, then add rum and crème fraîche and fold in flour and raisins. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until soft, add the remaining sugar and continue whipping until stiff. Carefully fold the meringue into the first mixture.
Butter and sprinkle with sugar a 6-inch (15cm) sauté pan and bake ¼ of the mixture for 12 minutes. Then, repeat the same three more times, until you've used up the entire mixture.
To serve, heat up the strawberry sauce and mix in the fresh strawberries, stirring over heat until well coated. Spoon the sauce on the plate, cover with pieces of kaiserschmarrn, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
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