cook like james

When I was growing up, the mother of a good friend used to make this every weekend, mostly because of our collective pleading. She would throw it together in minutes and shortly later pull out the most impressive golden brown, billowy pancake that seemed scientifically impossible. There are lots of similar recipes – Dutch Baby (usually with served lemon juice and powdered sugar), German Pancakes, a Bismarck, or Swedish Puffs. This one is the most basic and generally uses ¼ flour and ¼ milk per egg – so feel free to double the recipe and use 9x13 pan for baking.

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

1. Place a 10” cast iron skillet on the center rack of oven and preheat to 450° F. (about 15 minutes)

2. In a bowl, beat the eggs, flour, milk, and salt together with a whisk – about 1 minute

3. Toss the butter into the hot skillet and let it melt. Quickly pour the batter into the skillet and return it to the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the pancake is puffed and golden brown. Cut in half and serve immediately (the pancake will deflate quickly) with warm maple syrup and fresh berries.