Carbonara Dutch Baby
I have to say I’m pretty excited about this little recipe that has come to life. I’ve always had a soft spot for dutch baby pancakes and I think about it every few months or so. When I recently saw a pillowy dutch baby dessert, the cravings were real and I decided to do a little two part adventure. A savory dutch baby to start and then a sweet dutch baby for the next round. For some reason, my mind immediately thought to create a carbonara version of a dutch baby. There’s something about the creaminess of the carbonara with the punchy, salty bits of pancetta paired with a buttery and light pancake that sounded amazing.
The first challenge was figuring out a way to create a separate carbonara sauce without having to make a pound of fresh pasta to pull out that starchy water. Once I figured out the sauce component, the rest just fell into place. The undulating form of the dutch baby is the perfect shape to give the sauce and pancetta a place to soak up and rest while other elevated parts of the dutch baby stay intact and fluffy. I added fresh burrata to the already custard-like dutch baby for an even creamier texture. A final hit of fresh black pepper and parsley perfectly finishes this carbonara dutch baby. The flavor is insane and I promise you this one is a knockout. Now on to the sweet dutch baby!
CARBONARA DUTCH BABY
ingredients
Carbonara Sauce
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
4 oz pancetta or guanciale, 1/4” thick slices
3 eggs, room temp
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp rendered pancetta or guanciale fat
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
3 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Fresh burrata
Salt and pepper to taste
STEPS
Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for the carbonara sauce until smooth. Add the grated parmesan, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, whisk the flour and water until combined and heat until it comes to a slight simmer. Slowly pour the flour and water mixture into the egg mixture and whisk briskly to gently raise the temperature. Let the saucepan cool, and return the egg mixture to the pan and on low heat, continue to whisk the mixture until the parmesan melts and the sauce begins to thicken. Add the heavy cream and continue to gently heat until the carbonara sauce forms and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cut the pancetta or guanciale into 1/4 inch cubes and sear in a skillet until it has cooked down and is tender and the fat has crisped. Remove the pancetta and place on a paper towel to drain. Set aside the rendered fat to use for the dutch baby batter.
In a blender, or using a bowl and whisk, add the eggs, flour, milk, a pinch of salt, and the pancetta-rendered fat. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Add the 4 Tbsp of room temp butter to the cast iron and heat in the oven until the butter has just melted. Watch to ensure the butter doesn’t begin to brown or burn. Once the butter has melted, pour the dutch baby batter in the middle of the cast iron and let it spread to fill the pan.
Bake the dutch baby for 20 minutes or until the pancake is puffed and starts to brown. Bring down the oven to 300F and bake for another 5 minutes.
Remove the dutch baby from the oven. To assemble, add the pancetta or guanciale cubes on top. Place the fresh burrata and drizzle the dutch baby with the carbonara sauce. Any additional sauce can be placed in a serving bowl. Add the fresh parsley and crack fresh black pepper to preference. Serve immediately!
