For Father’s Day I made one of my husband’s favorite breakfasts…buttermilk pancakes with a fresh berry sauce and a side of applewood smoked bacon.
When my husband eats pancakes you will never find a drop of maple syrup on his plate.
The fact that I love maple syrup, the real stuff that is, not the artificial syrup you will find on many supermarket shelves, has never dissuaded his view that pancakes, waffles, and french toast should only be eaten with a fruit syrup or sauce, preferably of the berry family.
This recipe for Chloe’s Raspberry Buttermilk Pancakes comes from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, one of the best known chefs in the world, owner of 31 restaurants, and the man known for revolutionizing fine dining in New York.
On most Sunday mornings you will find him at home making these pancakes for his 10 year old daughter Chloe, who assumes the role of sous chef. It seems Chloe is a picky eater who could live on pancakes alone. In an article from Best Life Magazine featuring the chef and this recipe he says… he has been crazy for pancakes since he moved to the United States in 1986 and was bowled over by the heft of American breakfasts. “I grew up in Alsace, France, eating tartines with butter and jam, ” he says. “Eggs for Breakfast? I couldn’t believe it.”
When he was ready to tackle pancakes from scratch, he went straight to the doyenne of down-home American cookery: Marion Cunningham, author of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook….
Where the chef deviates from Cunningham’s recipe is that he doesn’t use any sugar in his batter. “I keep the pancake as plain as possible and save the sweetness for the topping. I love to play with different fruit toppings.”
When the green market is brimming with raspberries, he tosses them into the batter; off-season, he simmers apples or pears in simple syrup.
Now that he has fine-tuned his recipe, the chef has a few tips: Make sure you let the batter rest at least 5 minutes (to activate the baking soda) before ladling it into the pan. Don’t let your pan get too hot, or you’ll get cakes that are fluffy but raw in the middle. Make sure you see lots of bubbles in the face of the pancake before you flip it. And always, always let your sous chef taste the test pancake first.
Chloe’s Raspberry Buttermilk Pancakes (serves 4)
¾ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk.
3. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. mix gently to combine.
4. Add the butter, and mix gently. The batter should be combined but lumpy. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
5. Warm a skillet over medium heat. Pour the batter to make a pancake of your desired size. When the batter bubbles on top, the pancake should be flipped.
Raspberry Topping
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups raspberries
1. Place the butter, water, and sugar in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil.
2. Add the raspberries and warm them through until they’re soft. (Instead of raspberries, you can use blueberries or blackberries, or combine all three.)
