Crêpes I
A crêpe is a thin pancake. The French word is from the Latin root crispa meaning "curled", from which the English word "crisp" is also derived. It originates from Brittany (Bretagne), a region in the west of France, where it is traditionally served with cider.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 5 min
- Total
- 1 hr 35 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Put the flour at the bottom of a mixing bowl and make a hole in the middle where you put the eggs, the melted butter, the salt and a bit of milk.
Procedure
Mix well by hand, slowly combining the liquid with the flour to get a thick paste.
Procedure
Continue mixing and slowly add the rest of the milk, mixing well to avoid making lumps.
Procedure
Allow to stand, perhaps for several hours, whilst the gluten rests—this is very important for the final texture.
Procedure
Heat a crêpe pan (non-stick recommended) or skillet. A drop of water can be used to test the pan temperature: too cold, and the water will sit on the pan, too hot and it will vanish immediately. At the right temperature, the water will seem to "dance" on the pan.
Procedure
Grease the pan with some butter. Pour in some batter while tilting the pan to make the crêpe as thin as possible.
Procedure
Cook for 30–60 seconds until the cooked side looks like the surface of the moon, then flip it over to cook the other side; with some practice, you can flip it in the air by swinging the pan. See the whole-wheat pancakes recipe for air-flipping instructions.
Procedure
Serve with maple syrup, caster sugar, jam, spreads, etc. The crêpes can be filled and folded into triangles or rolled up.
Notes, tips, and variations
The exact proportions are not critical. In practice, equal parts by volume of eggs, milk, and flour, measured by eye, with no other ingredients, still produces excellent results.
Notes, tips, and variations
You may add a bit of liqueur (traditionally brandy or fleur d'oranger) to the batter for more flavor.
Notes, tips, and variations
For a sweet crêpe, add 2 teaspoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla
Notes, tips, and variations
For a chocolate crêpe, add 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce.
Notes, tips, and variations
For a cheesy crêpe, sprinkle Emmental cheese evenly over the crêpe while in the pan.
Notes, tips, and variations
One can also substitute beer or soda water for the milk. The wheat flour can be replaced by buckwheat flour to make savory buckwheat crêpes, as a main dish (ham, cheese, etc.).
Notes, tips, and variations
The batter ingredients above can be replaced by 5 eggs, 1 cup flour, and 1 cup milk for a simpler mixture.
Photo: David Monniaux · CC BY-SA 3.0 · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 15 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Nutrition information is not available for this recipe yet.
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