Whole Wheat Dutch Baby with Sautéed Spring Vegetables and Lemon-Herb Ricotta

The batter can be made up to a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator with no impact on its puffing potential.

By | March 05, 2020

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
Dutch Baby
  • 6 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup whole-wheat or your preferred wholegrain flour (I like the house-milled whole wheat from Seven Stars Bakery)
  • 2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chervil, marjoram, chives, etc.), divided
  • ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sautéed Vegetables
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
  • ½–¾ pound asparagus, woody stems trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • ½ cup fresh or frozen peas
Lemon-herb ricotta
  • 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese (I use Narragansett Creamery fresh ricotta)
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chervil, marjoram, chives, etc.)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Piment d’espelette (or your favorite chili flakes), optional
  • Flaky sea salt, to garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F. In large bowl, beat eggs and milk. Add both flours, 1 tablespoon chopped herbs, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and whisk until well combined. Alternatively, whiz everything together in a blender. Let the batter rest while you brown the butter.

Melt the butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. The butter will foam and sizzle and then the foam will subside. (Keep a close eye here; the minute you look away it will burn, turn acrid and break your heart.) Swirl the skillet occasionally until brown flecks appear and the butter smells nutty, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Pour the batter into the skillet with brown butter and place directly into the hot oven. Bake 20 minutes. Resist the urge to open the oven until the timer buzzes. Do not peek! Your Dutch baby needs some privacy for magic to happen.

Meanwhile, heat a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter to coat. Sauté asparagus until tender-crisp, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add peas and sauté to heat or cook through, an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

As the vegetables sauté, stir together the lemon-herb ricotta ingredients in a small bowl, season with salt and pepper and chili flakes to taste and set aside.

When the oven timer buzzes, peek at your Dutch baby. It will have puffed gloriously. If you prefer a custardy center, take it out of the oven now. If you prefer a more solid center, continue to bake for 3 to 5 additional minutes.

Working quickly, remove the skillet from the oven. Spoon the sautéed vegetables in the center of the puff. Dollop the ricotta on top and sprinkle with remaining herbs and flaky sea salt. Slice into wedges and serve with a green salad.

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Ingredients

SERVINGS: 4 Serving(s)
Dutch Baby
  • 6 large eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup whole-wheat or your preferred wholegrain flour (I like the house-milled whole wheat from Seven Stars Bakery)
  • 2 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chervil, marjoram, chives, etc.), divided
  • ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sautéed Vegetables
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (or butter)
  • ½–¾ pound asparagus, woody stems trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • ½ cup fresh or frozen peas
Lemon-herb ricotta
  • 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese (I use Narragansett Creamery fresh ricotta)
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chervil, marjoram, chives, etc.)
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Piment d’espelette (or your favorite chili flakes), optional
  • Flaky sea salt, to garnish
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