Crêpes

The crêpe is one of the easiest and most versatile of French dishes. Related to other world foods such as Mexican Tortillas, Russian Blinis, Jewish Blintzes, and pancakes of every country, there are as many versions and variations of crêpes (and fillings and sauces to use with them) as the imagination can allow. The French adore their Crêperies, restaurants that specialize in main dish and dessert crêpes. They are often eaten at home or purchased from street vendors and simply sprinkled with sugar. Consult any cookbook for a myriad of ideas!

Basic Crêpe Batter - makes about 20 crêpes

2 cups flour

2 eggs

2 cups milk

½ tsp. salt

about 2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil for the pan

- Place flour and salt in bowl or blender.

- In center of flour (make a small “well”), place eggs.

- Add milk little by little, using wire whip (or the blender) to mix.

- Blend one minute or until batter is smooth. Batter may be prepared hours or even a day or two in advance and stored in a cool place. If used immediately, allow it to “rest” for about an hour before proceeding to make the crêpes, as this allows the flour to absorb the liquid and will make better crêpes, Crêpes may be cooked just before serving, or cooked ahead of time and kept warm in a slow oven. (You may also store them, wrapped in foil, and reheat in the foil in a 350 degree oven for 3-5 minutes).

To Cook: Oil a small (5 and ½ inch base) skillet or crepe pan. Pour in a spoonful of batter. Rotate the pan in all directions to cover the cooking surface equally. You want a very thin layer on bottom of the pan. Cook one minute or less, until the crêpe is lightly brown. Turn or flip and cook for a few seconds on the other side. The first few crêpes from the pan will not usually be as attractive as the ones that follow… The first few are “practice” for the rest of the batter!

You can have your crêpes with plain or powdered sugar or with honey, apples or other fresh fruit, whipped cream, ice cream, Nutella (the chocolate hazelnut spread you tried in French class) or a variety of other things. For a main dish, try filling each cooked crepe with a slice of ham and some cheese sauce. Then roll the crepes and put them in a baking dish. Cover with more sauce and brown in oven.