COMFORT FOOD SERIES Kaiserschmarrn
What a mess!
Simple ingredients and a delicious result: Kaiserschmarrn is the ultimate comfort food. Emperor Franz Joseph I himself was a big fan.
Nothing embodies the spirit of Austria quite as well as their desserts. They may look simple, but they are incredibly refined, extremely nutritious and a real delicacy. The origins of these tasty treats can actually be traced back to the simple Lenten fare eaten by Austrian monks, when Catholic Austrians weren’t allowed to eat any meat for almost half the day. Back then, these were part of their main meals rather than a dessert.
Kaiserschmarrn is the highlight
One dish, however, reigns supreme over the sweet soufflés, dumplings, strudels and pancakes, and it’s something that anyone who has stopped off for a bite to eat in a cosy Austrian tavern or mountain hut has probably come across: Kaiserschmarrn.
„“It’s a bit of a mess.” “Ah, but a mess fit for an Emperor!”“
Only a few ingredients
It’s the quintessential Austrian dessert, and to make it, all you need is some flour, eggs, sugar and a few raisins. What chefs in Germany’s neighbouring country can conjure up with these few ingredients definitely deserves high praise.
Royal approval
Apparently, the name of the dish comes from Emperor Franz Joseph (yes, the one who was married to the famous Empress Sisi) himself, as ‘Kaiserschmarrn’ can be translated as ‘Emperor’s Mess’. According to legend, after a hunt the Emperor was surprised by a storm and sought shelter nearby with a family of farmers. Now the unprepared farmer’s wife didn’t have much in the way of food, just eggs, milk, flour and sugar that she used to whip up a sweet dish. The Emperor absolutely loved it, but she said modestly: “It’s a bit of a mess.” “Ah, but a mess fit for an Emperor!” quipped Franz Joseph.
Easy to prepare
At its worst, Kaiserschmarrn is a wonderful staple food and at its best, it’s like a poem that only a select few are able to compose. There are not a lot of secrets about how to prepare the dish, which is why there are so many different variants. Flour, milk, eggs, sugar and a pinch of salt are combined to make the batter. Some chefs separate the eggs and beat the whites until they are nice and fluffy to make the batter even lighter and more airy. There are even some specialists who add a splash of sparkling water.
No matter how simple Kaiserschmarrn may be – making a really good one is an art in itself The kitchen team at Halseralm master this dish. And the location of the tavern is straight out of a fairytale.
Shred it, don’t cut it
The batter is cooked in a cast iron pan in some clarified butter on a medium heat until the bottom is firm and a little crisp because of the caramelised sugar. The cooked Kaiserschmarrn is shredded with a wooden spoon and then flipped again and again. Raisins (which you can soak in rum if you want) are added right at the end so that they don’t burn, giving the Kaiserschmarrn a more refined twist. The finished Kaiserschmarrn is sprinkled with icing sugar and can be served with stewed plums or apple compote.
One of the best
You can enjoy a really delicious, flambéed Kaiserschmarrn at Halseralm on the Rittisberg mountain, a 400-year-old Alpine tavern located in Schladming, Austria.
waldesruh-halseralm.at
