Impossibly tall, tremblingly light, kissed with ricotta richness and crowned with a jewel-toned wild berry sauce.
The ricotta is the quiet hero here. It adds body and a delicate sweetness to the batter that keeps these from tasting like sweetened air. Strain it if it’s wet, and whisk thoroughly — no lumps allowed.
Start this first — it improves as it sits.
Combine 1½ cups frozen wild blueberries, 2 Tbsp sugar, and 1 Tbsp water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir gently. The berries will begin to release their juice within 3–4 minutes.
Once simmering, reduce heat to low and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and some berries have burst while others remain whole. You want a jammy, loose consistency — not a paste.
Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla and a small squeeze of lemon juice if you have it — the acid brightens everything. Set aside. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
Wild blueberries are smaller and more intensely flavored than cultivated ones. Frozen is actually preferable here — the cell walls break down and release more of that gorgeous, deeply pigmented juice.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 4 large egg yolks and 2 Tbsp sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add 2 Tbsp ricotta and whisk until completely smooth — take your time here, no lumps.
Add 3 Tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla, whisk until combined. Sift in ⅓ cup (45g) flour, ¼ tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt directly over the bowl. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — a few tiny lumps are fine. Over-mixing develops gluten and kills the fluff.
Do not whisk the flour — fold onlyThe meringue is the entire architecture of these pancakes. Your bowl and whisk must be immaculately clean — even a trace of fat or yolk will prevent the whites from whipping. Use a metal or glass bowl, never plastic. Cold egg whites whip to more stable peaks.
In a separate, spotlessly clean bowl, beat 4 large egg whites with a hand mixer (or whisk — earn it) on medium speed until foamy. Add ¼ tsp cream of tartar.
Increase speed to medium-high. Add 3 Tbsp sugar gradually — about a tablespoon at a time — while beating. Continue until you reach stiff, glossy peaks. When you lift the whisk, the peak should hold its shape with just the very tip curling over. This takes 3–5 minutes with a hand mixer.
Stop before it looks dry or grainy — that’s over-whippedScoop one-third of the meringue into the yolk batter. Whisk this portion in — yes, whisk. This sacrificial third lightens the batter so the remaining meringue can be folded in without deflating.
Add the remaining meringue in two additions, folding gently with a large spatula. Cut down through the center, sweep along the bottom, fold over the top. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. You should still see gentle streaks of white when you stop — that’s perfect. Over-folding is the enemy.
Heat a large non-stick skillet over the lowest heat setting your stove offers. Add a small pat of butter and wipe it around with a paper towel — you want a whisper-thin film, not a pool.
Using a large spoon or ¼-cup measure, dollop batter into tall mounds — not flat circles. Build these up in two scoops, stacking the second on top of the first. Leave 2 inches between each pancake. You’ll get about 3 per batch.
Add about 1 Tbsp of water to the empty space in the pan and immediately cover with a lid. The steam is essential — it gently cooks the interior without burning the base. Cook for 6–7 minutes on the first side. Do not peek for the first 5 minutes.
Patience. The lowest flame. Trust the steam.When the base is golden and the edges look set, gently flip with a wide spatula. Re-cover and cook for another 5–6 minutes. The pancakes will jiggle — that’s exactly right. Repeat with remaining batter, wiping the pan clean between batches.
Stack two or three pancakes, slightly off-center, on a warmed plate. Spoon the wild blueberry compote generously over the top, letting it cascade down the sides. Dust with powdered sugar from a height — like snow falling. Serve immediately. These wait for no one.
Soufflé pancakes will naturally lose about 20% of their height within a minute of leaving the pan — that’s physics, not failure. To minimize deflation: don’t over-fold the batter, cook on genuinely low heat so the interior fully sets, and serve the moment they come off the pan. A slight jiggle in the center is beautiful. A raw center is not — if they collapse dramatically, your heat was too high and the inside didn’t cook through.