Have I even mentioned how much I hate the name of the food “Dutch Baby”? It’s absolutely stupid. And frankly, doesn’t sound very appetizing. And it wasn’t even “invented” in the Netherlands. Yes, of course, there are foods similar to a a Dutch Baby, but the expression itself was coined at a cafe in Seattle, and was even then, a misnomer as the person was most likely accidentally riffing on Deutsch (German) not Dutch. It’s a giant pop-over or Yorkshire Pudding (which may or may not come from Yorkshire).
And while I have the name, the food itself is quite delicious. This is a mostly savory version, with goat cheese, dill and baby greens (I used pea tendrils), but with a little drizzle of honey. Makes a great brunch dish!
Ingredients
1 cup crumbled plain goat cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, plus additional fronds for garnish
2 tablespoons olive oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided
Coarse kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
8 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups tender greens such pea tendrils, watercress, baby spinach or baby arugula
1 tablespoon honey
Directions
Combine the goat cheese, 1/4 cup of chopped dill, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl. Zest the lemon over the mixture, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and let it marinate.
Preheat the oven to 425F with a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the oven. Whisk together the flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper in a large bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of chopped dill and stir. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Do not over-mix.
On your stove top, melt the butter in the heated pan. Let it cook until it turns nutty and brown, approximately 3 minutes, swirling the skillet to ensure the butter coats the bottom and sides of the pan. Pour the batter into the hot, buttered skillet and spoon half of the marinated goat cheese into the center of the batter. Bake until the puff is well … puffed, and golden, which should take about 20 to 22 minutes.
Allow the puff to cool slightly in the pan, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Top it with tender greens and dill fronds. Spoon the remaining goat cheese on top and drizzle with honey and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Slice the lemon and squeeze a wedge over the greens and serve immediately.
