Crêpes 101

Technique

Crêpes 101

Fancy or plain, crêpes are a cinch to make at home

BY Mary Margaret Chappell
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Ray Kachatorian

No offense to the American breakfast favorite, but crêpes are so much more than thin, pliable pancakes. Filled, folded, and served hot from the skillet or warm from the oven, crêpes can be made sweet or savory, and they can be turned out in large or small numbers for an elegant dinner party entrée or an easy snack for kids on a rainy afternoon. Once you’ve mastered the pour-tilt-swirl motion for making crêpes in a basic skillet (no griddle or special pan necessary), test it out on the following recipes, which can easily be doubled or tripled. Before you know it, you’ll be flipping, filling, and folding like a pro.

What You’ll Need

Mixing bowl
Wire whisk or electric mixer
Liquid measuring cup
9- or 10-inch nonstick skillet
Canola oil
Paper towels

3 Easy Steps

1. Lightly grease nonstick skillet with paper towel dipped in canola oil; heat pan over medium to medium-high heat until drop of water sizzles on surface. Pour 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup batter onto one side of pan.

2. Lift skillet off of burner, and tilt pan to spread batter until it covers bottom completely. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.

3. Loosen edges of crêpe, and flip with thin spatula. Cook 30 seconds more. Add filling, fold or roll up crêpe, and remove to plate. Repeat process with remaining batter and filling. Regrease pan as necessary (about every third crêpe or so, just as you would for pancakes).

September 2009 p.36

get the recipes

Sweet Cornmeal Crêpes with Fresh Blueberries

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Cornmeal and blueberries are a match made in heaven. For assembling ease, make the crêpes ahead of time, wrap in aluminum foil, and keep warm in the oven.

Parisian-style Sweet Crêpes

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Cafés and brasseries in the French capital sell passersby sweet crêpes slathered in butter, jam, chestnut purée, and (VT favorite) Nutella. The experience is easy to re-create at home for breakfast, Sunday supper, or a snack.

Two-Cheese Buckwheat Galettes

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These savory crêpes are a specialty of Brittany in the western region of France. It is still a tradition in many families to make galettes for Friday night dinner. The batter must be beaten well and allowed to rest 12 to 24 hours to develop a consistency that will stick