Crepes have traditionally been a “going out food” – food that you think is so tricky that you only get it at restaurants. Deep fried whole fish is another good example of “going out food.” Crepes on the other hand are surprisingly easy to make and tough to screw up. The only tricky part is flipping them in the pan. About half way through my batch of 12 I had it down to a science and was flipping like a pro. Having a long, angled spatula made it easy it get underneath and ensures that there is enough spatula underneath to support the whole crepe.
I used a 10″ non-stick pan and it worked out great. If you want smaller crepes you can also use a 8″ pan. There are pans and contraptions made just for crepes, but until you have a couple of batches under your belt I wouldn’t recommend getting one. If you do get bold, Cook’s Illustrated recommend the pans from La Cuisine Kitchenware and preferred the 18cm pan.
I got 12 crepes out of the batch I made. We ended up making both sweet crepes and savory crepes, and even had some leftovers which we put in the fridge and used later. I will post some recipe ideas for different fillings in a little.
Crepes
From: Cook’s Illustrated
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for brushing pan
Directions:
- Mix all of the ingredients in food processor or blender until a smooth batter is formed, 3 to 4 seconds.
- If you want to make a very tender crepe, transfer the batter to a covered container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can leave the batter in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When you are ready to begin cooking, gently stir batter if the ingredients have separated.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the pan bottom and sides very lightly with the extra melted butter. The butter should sizzle when it hits the pan. When the butter stops sizzling, pour the batter into the pan. For a 6 or 7 inch pan, use 2 1/2 tablespoons of batter (fill a 1/4 cup measuring cup just over half way). For a 10 inch pan, use a full 1/4 cup of batter.
- When pouring the batter, tilt the pan down and slightly to the right. Tilt the pan slowly, in counterclockwise motion, until a thin even crepe is formed. Cook until the bottom is spotty brown, loosening the crepe from the pan side with a table knife or rubber spatula to check for doneness. This should take 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the loosened crepe quickly with fingertips or spatula and cook until spotty brown on other side, about 30 seconds longer.
- Place cooked crepe on plate and repeat cooking process with remaining batter, brushing pan as necessary, every two to three crepes.
Note:
Crepes can be double-wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Pingback: Creamy spinach and feta crepes | DC Vegetarian
Pingback: Mushroom crepe cups « DC Vegetarian
Pingback: Foodie Fridays: Crepes + ‘French Twist’ « galswithsass
I have made crapes the ‘old fashioned’ way, but one day I decided to be different…I made some using pancake mix that I thinned out with extra milk. They weren’t too sweet, and were very easy! Yum!!
Pingback: Banana Chocolate Crepes
Your crepes look wonderful!
I haven’t made crepes in ages… :(