How to Make Great Crêpes: 6 Secrets From My French Husband | Maikka Piquemal La Chandeleur,
February 2, is the end of the Christmas period, celebrated 40 days after Christmas Eve. The word Chandeleur evokes the French word for candles (chandelles) which were lit in Jesus’s honor as the “light of the world”. For those who are not religious, it is known just as crêpe day.
How To Make Great Crêpes: 6 Tips
Dark rum: This is perhaps not a secret at all to those from Normandie or Bretagne. It’s the small amount of dark rum that gives a crêpe batter the x-factor. Without it, that je ne sais quoi won’t be there at all. The only way to justify this is to taste one crêpe with rum and another one without. If you’re worried about the ethanol, the heat will cook it off and make it alcohol-free.
Vanilla Sugar: Some will find the idea of making crêpes intimidating simply because they’re French. They are actually not as complicated as you think. Using vanilla sugar instead of sugar and vanilla separately is a little trick that goes a long way toward simplifying things. With vanilla sugar, you get the exact flavor you need without either vanilla or sugar overpowering the other ingredients.
First add eggs, then milk, then gradually add flour: Some recipes will specify to add flour first, then eggs and milk to the mix. Or the recipe might mention adding the 3 ingredients together without any further details. The batter should have a fluid consistency. To achieve this, the order in which you mix the ingredients is key. Mix the eggs and milk together first. Then slowly and gently add the flour while you whisk. Adding too much flour all at once will make your batter too thick. You also won’t be needing an electric whisk if you follow this sequence.
Let the batter rest before cooking: Good things take time. One of the secrets to making great crêpes is letting the batter sit in the fridge for 12 hours or overnight. This gives time for the flavors to merge. Don’t forget to mix it well again before cooking though!
Oil the pan with half a potato dipped in oil: It’s not essential to have a crêpe griddle or pan when you can actually use any flat pan you already have and still make perfect crêpes. In order to have a perfectly greased pan use a potato dipped in oil. Slice a small potato in half and, using only one half, stick a fork onto its end and dip the flat end in a bowl with a shallow amount of vegetable oil. Use this potato to grease your hot pan before pouring in the crêpe batter. Ideally, you want to coat the pan with ample oil to make flipping easier, to achieve a fine crêpe texture, and to have those crunchy edges.
Flipping It: A batter spreader is not always necessary. With your pan’s handle, you can maneuver your pan while you pour batter to spread it out. Remember not to pour too much batter or your crêpes will be too thick. Your pan needs to be very hot too. Little holes in your crêpe are signs that you’re on the right track and the crêpe is nearly ready to be flipped. To flip it, you don’t always have to toss it in the air— rather, you can use any flat spatula to gently go under the crêpe and turn it over.
https://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_pate-a-crepes_12372.aspx
Makes 15 crêpes
- 5 cl rum
- 50g melted butter
- 2 Tsp oil
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 300 g flour
- 3 eggs
Preparing pancake batter in a bottle:
- 750 cl of milk
- 300 g of flour
- 50 g melted butter
- 3 eggs
- A packet of vanilla sugar
- Salt
- 2 plastic bottles (preferably with a large whelk) or a bottle and a funnel
- Take the first bottle, cut the top of the bottle to create a funnel if you don’t have one
- Place the funnel (the cut bottle) on the second bottle.
- Put in this order: flour, salt, melted butter, eggs and milk
- Close the bottle and shake vigorously
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a little fat
- Pour in a little batter and turn after about a minute
- Garnish your pancakes according to your tastes
- With the bottle technique, you can very easily prepare your dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator. You can also prepare several batches of pancakes for one or two breakfasts for example.
Crêpes de Blé Noir / Crêpes de Sarrasin | Buckwheat Crepes from Brittany (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
2 cups Buckwheat flour (250g)
1 egg
1 pinch of salt
Water
Instructions
Sift together the buckwheat flour and salt. Place in a big mixing bowl and create a well in the middle.
Break in the egg and mix with a spoon.
Now using a whisk, slowly add in some water until your batter becomes a velvety smooth liquid, that has the consistency of heavy cream.
Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet/pan over medium heat.
When your pan is hot, drop a in dollop of butter and swirl it in so it coats the entire pan evenly (the butter should melt right away when touching the pan, but not brown. If the butter browns, lower the heat a bit).
Immediately, add 1/3 cup of batter and swirl your pan quickly to completely cover the bottom. Cook until micro-bubbles form on all over the edges of the crepe (giving it a lace-like look) and the underside of the crepe is dry– about 2 minutes.
Cooking Notes:
Modern variations of this recipe add some wheat flour to provide some gluten and make the crepe more forgiving. To do so, switch a third of the total amount of flour (2/3 cups) with regular wheat flour. While not as authentic, this ratio will give you a batter that will be easier to work with and less prone to breakage – while providing a buckwheat flavour that is still dominant.
If you are preparing a stack of crepes (to be garnished and enjoyed later), prepare a plate covered with a clean dish cloth. Each time you finish a crepe and peel it off from the pan, place it on the plate – preferably folded in half so it is easier to grab later- and cover it with the cloth. Pile your crepes on the plate, and make sure the cloth is always wrapped around your plate, nice and tight – so the steam is kept inside. This technique will make sure your crepes are evenly cooked and very tender.
Loosen edge of crepe with a rubber spatula. Then, with your fingertips, peel off the crepe and quickly flip it. Cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Slide your crepe out of your pan, onto a plate, and cover with a dish cloth. Repeat. Well stacked and wrapped, your crepes can be kept up to 3 days in the fridge.
