Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup milk, warmed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening
• Confectioners' sugar
• Marinated Berries or Glazed Apples and Pears, recipes follow
• Serving suggestion: Maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, and seeds scraped out with a knife and reserved
• Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
• Grated zest of 1/2 orange
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 pint raspberries
• 1/2 pint blueberries, rinsed
• 1/2 pint strawberries, rinsed, tops trimmed, halved or quartered, if large
• 3 small Granny Smith apples or other tart baking apple (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• 3 Bosc pears (about 1 1/4 pounds)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• Grated zest of 2 oranges, plus their juice
• Two 3-inch-long cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons Calvados, Apple Jack, or brandy (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, sugar, milk, vanilla, and butter. Whisk in the flour to make a smooth batter. Set aside.
3. Heat a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove and brush the inside with the shortening. Pour in the batter and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F. and continue baking until puffed and golden brown, about 13 to 15 minutes more. Run a knife around the edge of the skillet. Sift the confectioners' sugar over the pancake. Serve immediately in the skillet with maple syrup, marinated berries, or glazed apples and pears.
5. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, citrus zests, and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer very gently until syrupy, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the citrus juices. Combine the berries in a bowl. Strain the warm syrup over the berries and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve.
6. Peel, core, and cut both the apples and pears into 3/4-inch wedges. In a medium bowl, toss the fruit with the lemon juice.
7. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon sticks and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the fruit, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, shaking the pan frequently, until glazed, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the orange juice, and cook until the fruit is easily pierced with a paring knife, about 1 minute more. If desired, add the Calvados. If cooking on a gas burner, carefully tip the pan toward the flame to flambe the alcohol; if cooking over an electric element, hold a long match near the mixture. Swirl the pan over the heat until the flame subsides. Serve warm.