Kaiserschmarrn

Kaiserschmarrn is a thick pancake torn into fluffy shreds in the pan, dusted with icing sugar and served with stewed fruit. It's Austria's dessert built for sharing, arriving straight from the skillet in torn pieces rather than a neat, sliced portion.

What it actually is

A batter of egg, flour and milk — with the whites often whipped separately for extra lift — is poured into a hot buttered pan and cooked like a very thick pancake. Once mostly set, it's torn apart directly in the pan with two forks into rough, fluffy pieces, sometimes with raisins folded in, then finished in the oven or under a grill until the torn edges catch a little colour.

The name means "Emperor's mess," after a story — likely embellished — that it was invented for Emperor Franz Joseph I, who liked it enough that it stayed on the menu long after.

How it's served

• Dusted heavily with icing sugar, straight from the pan.
• With stewed plums (Zwetschgenröster) or apple sauce alongside, to cut the sweetness.
• On one large plate for the table, more often than as individual portions.

Writing it on a menu

• Flag gluten, egg and dairy; all three are structural, not optional.
• Say what fruit accompaniment comes with it; the classic is stewed plum, but apple or apricot versions are common.
• Note it's made to order; a Kaiserschmarrn held or reheated loses the torn, fluffy texture that defines it.
• Mention if it's meant for two; portions are often generous enough to share, and pricing it as such avoids confusion.