Crepes, Savory & Sweet

You can make so many wonderful things with crepes, including what is to my mind the absolute best dessert ever created — the justly famed Crepes Suzette.

These take a bit of practice, but are really very easy. You’ll wreck the first one and feel like this is impossible; by the third crepe, you’ll feel like a master chef.

Ingredients #

Instructions #

Add the ingredients to the jar of a blender in the order listed. Cover and blend at top speed for 1 minute. If bits adhere to the jar, stop the motor, scrape down the sides, and run for a few seconds longer. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, or overnight.

The batter should be a very light cream, just thick enough to coat a wooden spoon. If, after making your first crepe, it seems too thick, at a bit of water, one spoonful at a time. The cooked crepes should be about 1/16 inches thick.

Cooking Crepes: #

A crepe pan is ideal for this, but not many people will have one. Have no fear — any large, slope-sided non-stick pan will do. In fact, you can use a well-seasoned carbon steel pan (this is my go-to), but you should have some experience with cooking on this type of surface, and with crepe-making. I’d recommend a nonstick pan for beginners. The bottom cooking surface should be about 7” across.

You’ll also want to have some softened butter at hand, as well as a pasty brush, a thin spatula, a 1/4 cup measure, a plate, and a roll of waxed paper. As you finish the crepes, you’ll stack them on the plate — they don’t usually stick to each other, unless they’re refrigerated, but placing squares of waxed paper between them gives you an insurance policy.

Brush the pan with butter and place over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke. Pull the pan from the heat, holding the handle in your right hand. Using your left hand, pour 1/4 cup of batter into the middle of the pan and immediately tilt around in all directions to completely coat the bottom of the pan in a thin film.

Return the pan to the heat, and after 30 seconds or so start shaking the pan forward and backwards until you can see the crepe moving slightly — getting it loose from the surface now will prevent it from sticking. When the underside is nicely browned, flip the crepe. It’s important not to flip it too soon — if the bottom gets a bit toasty, the crepe will have a bit of stiffness that will make flipping easier.

As regards flipping the crepes, all I can say is that you’ll get the hang of it. The first couple might get wrecked. Also, you’ll have the best luck if you move quickly and confidently.

When both sides are nicely browned, slide the crepe onto the plate. Brush the pan with butter, return to the heat, and repeat the process.