Pear and Smoked Gouda Dutch Baby

Ingredients

• 8
  
  tablespoons butter (preferably unsalted, but salted also works), divided
  
• 1
  
  medium leek, washed and sliced thinly (just the white and very beginning of the light green portion)
  
• 2
  
  medium pears, ripe but still firm, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
  
• 5
  
  large eggs
  
• 1 1/4
  
  cups milk (whole milk – it’s the holidays, don’t skimp!)
  
• 1 1/4
  
  cups all purpose flour
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4
  
  teaspoon white pepper
  
• 3/4
  
  cup grated smoked gouda cheese (smoked mozarella will also work if that’s all you can find)
  
• 1-2
  
  tablespoons chopped fresh chives, to garnish (optional)
  

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium and cook for about 3 minutes, until it starts taking on a little nutty smell. Add in the leeks, stir and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they begin to soften. Then, stir in the pears and cook for another 3 or so minutes until they are browned and softened as well. Remove from the heat.
2. Put the eggs, milk, flour, salt and pepper into a blender and whirr them at high speed for about a minute, until they are well combined.
3. Plop the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter into a 12-inch cast iron skillet (or, if you don’t have one, you can use a baking pan of a similar volume) and put the pan into the oven. Wait until the butter is completely melted and sizzling, then (carefully!) take the pan out and swirl the butter around to make sure the pan is coated.
4. Spread the leek and pears on the bottom of the cast iron. Pour the egg mixture on top. Finally, sprinkle the cheese all over it and put it back into the oven for 20 minutes, until browned on top. The pancake will puff up as it bakes (though not as much as a dessert one that doesn’t have the chunks of deliciousness).
5. When finished, take the Dutch baby out of the oven and scatter the chives (or another fresh herb of your choice – like thyme or sage) across the top. Serve warm. If you want to, though, you can also make the Dutch baby ahead of time, set it aside, and then reheat it in a warm oven for 10-15 minutes right before serving.