Friday, June 10, 2016

Bacon & Asparagus Dutch Baby, Baby!

I’ve been seeing savory, non-breakfast versions of Dutch Babies pop up on menus lately, and while I’m not sure that means it’s a hot new trend, I figured I would get in on the ground floor with this amazing bacon and asparagus version, just in case.

Above and beyond the ingredients, the most important thing here is using a cast iron pan similar to, or better yet, exactly like, the 12-inch example seen herein. These relatively cheap and indestructible pans are one of the best kitchen investments of all time, but if you don’t have one, there is a Plan B.

You’ll have to do the bacon and asparagus steps in a frying pan, and then transfer everything to a similarly sized casserole dish. Make sure the sides are coated with your bacon fat, and then pour in your batter, and bake as shown.

It will take a few extra minutes in the oven, but just simply bake it until it’s browned, and properly puffed. It won’t work as well, but you should get similar results. Either way, I really hope you give this wonderful bacon and asparagus Dutch Baby a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:
3 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/4 cup if packed, but don’t pack it)
freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup all-purpose flour *packed 
*push and pack as much flour as you can fit into the 1/2 cup measure)
1 tbsp olive oil
6 strips bacon
1 generous cup sliced fresh asparagus

- Bake at 475 F for about 12-13 minutes, or until browned and puffed

29 comments:

Divtal said...

Oh, that takes its place high on the "to try" list!

Dave said...

My cast iron pan is a 9-inch one... will this recipe work or am I likely to have overflow issues?

Unknown said...

Why no onions? I'm adding them, consequences be damned. I AM THE DADDY

Carlos Sanchez said...

Could you use a Dutch oven instead of a cast iron?

Unknown said...

Made it this morning (not a breakfast dish? who are you to tell me what to eat!) turned out great. Didn't have asparagus, but broccoli florets in spades. Thanks for the inspiration.

Dingus McDoohickey said...

Trying this this week! Thanks, Chef John.

Unknown said...

How much should a pan like the one you used cost? I looked at some, but I can't figure out if it's just "quality has a price" or blatant scams since I can't really judge the quality

George said...

Chef john can ouse turkey bacon

Unknown said...

I watch alot of food videos on YouTube. Like, I mean alot of food videos. However, when I came across Food Wishes I've stopped watching most others. I have been binge watching Chef Johns videos for the last few days now. Great Videos!! I also love the narration and inside jokes. Keep making these videos!! but you're the Boss Hogg of this food blog. :)

Kevin C

JulieBoolie said...

We are planning to make this more "keto friendly" by fiddling with the type of flour we use. Hoping for awesome low-carb results...

Unknown said...

Chef John, can this be done in a stainless steel skillet?

Unknown said...

I have the day off and came on here to look up your mind-blowing Korean Fried Chicken recipe (which I've mad several times.

Plans have changed....off to the market for some fresh asparagus!

Thanks Chef John!

Kennapop3 said...

I have planted twenty Asparagus crowns this year when I told my wife I should have planted sixty a friend and fellow gardener said you'll never eat that much, I responded with it will be fun to try.

FSB said...

Not being an asparagus person, I'll try this with other vegetables. Thanks, CJ.

Unknown said...

Once again Chef John has solved my "what to make for super" question.

JulieBoolie said...

To CookInWithCows: Just look at the Lodge Cast Iron pans. They are still among the best out there, will last forever, and the price is going to be standardized everywhere.

Anonymous said...

Definitely want to make this, but keto-friendly (as another user posted above). Coconut/almond flour ok as a substitute? Thanks!

Chef John said...

Sorry, but keto-friendly is none of my business. ;)

Dingus McDoohickey said...

Made this and it turned out beautifully and was delicious. I haven't tried the sweet version of the Dutch baby yet...maybe this weekend.

Tia Ray said...

Chef John! I'm trying to convince my SO to let me buy a large hunk of legit Italian Parmesan, but he's concerned about bulk cheese because of mold. How do you store your cheese so it lasts long enough to use the whole thing to get your money's worth?

Chef John said...

Since it's so dry, mold on real parm is extremely rare! You can also freeze, but should be not necessary. We just wrap in plastic and keep in fridge. Also, why buy a big chunk? Just buy $10 worth at a time, and you'll have no concerns.

Unknown said...

I am imagining hollandaise sauce on top of this..mmm

Unknown said...

This worked nice!! The crust needs some work, but once I perfect this, omg family watch out!!! I will also add onions and maybe some roasted red peppers. Fabulous recipe!!!

Unknown said...

Doing it for breakfast for some time and with variations, mushrooms,han and onions were awesome.thx John.

redcaddy97 said...

OMG. Delicious. No need to change anything. Followed exactly and DAMN! Can see making substitutions such as broccoli, diced or crumbled sausage but no need. This is GOOD!

Unknown said...

I worked in a Pancake House for 10 years off and on and we made 3 variations of this. A plain dutch baby, and apple pancake with apples in the bottom first, and then 1/2 way through cooking in the oven, we would add cinnamon sugar and flip it over, and a cherry pancake that we made similar to the apple pancake with cherry pie filling. I still love to make them and they defiantly impress your guests.

Patrick said...

To the folks who are talking about onions...

I made this last night and (A) was heavy-handed with the asparagus (closer to 2 cups), and (B) added a small, diced yellow onion before adding the asparagus, and (C) used coarsely shredded parm, since the microplane was in the dishwasher.

It didn't puff up nearly as much, which makes total sense, but it was still wonderful. I did have to let it go for an extra minute or two, fwiw.

Make it as described for the results shown in the video, but don't fear adding the onion! Next time, I'm using Trader Joe's diced pancetta instead of bacon.

ileneC said...

Hi Chef John, how would you recommend reheating a Dutch baby? I know they are best fresh, but I want to make a few different Dutch babies for breakfast-on-the-go. My mornings are usually hectic and very early (4am early), so reheated breakfast is my main option.

Jayme said...

I had never heard of a Dutch Baby before, let alone a savory one. I followed the recipe to a T and it was PERFECT. The best thing I’ve eaten in a long time. I messed up the second try because I accidentally added too much Parmesan cheese and had to add more flour and milk to make it a batter consistency. Didn’t work. In fact, I have yet to make it as perfect as the first one. The third time I made it I used too much bacon, if you can imagine that! I’m going to make it again today, and I have learned that following the recipe is the only assurance of a good Dutch Baby. I’ve been following Chef John for years now, and I admire his love for cooking and his way of teaching techniques. He’s very good!