Crêpes Suzette

Crepe Suzette 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the crêpes

  • 110g plain flour, sifted

  • pinch of salt

  • 1 egg

  • 1 egg yolk

  • 200ml milk mixed with 75ml water

  • 50g butter, melted

  • Zest of 1 orange

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

For the sauce

  • 150ml orange juice about 3-4 medium oranges

  • Zest of 1 orange

  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 3-4 tablespoons Grand Marnier or Cointreau

  • 1 tablespoon Kirsch

  • 50g unsalted butter

  • a little extra Grand Marnier or Cointreau, for flaming

Method:

  1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the egg and the egg yolk into it. Begin whisking the eggs using a whisk or even a fork drawing any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.

  2. Gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking to loosen the mixture. Do not worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappears you whisk. Continue to mix until you all the liquid has been incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the center, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth. You are looking for a mixture that has a thin consistency. Spoon 2 tablespoon of the melted batter and whisk it in properly. Use the remaining butter to lubricate the pan. The best way to do this is to either use a brush (should be heatproof) or a piece of kitchen paper to smear some melted butter on the bottom before you make each pancake. Stir the orange zest and caster sugar into the batter.

  3. Heat a pan till it is nice and hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, add a small ladleful of batter, swirling the pan around so that it evenly covers the base. The little crêpes should be thinner than the basic pancakes, so when you're making them, use about ½ tablespoon of batter at a time in a pan that is approx. 18cm in diameter. It should take only about a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it is tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with the palette knife - the other side will need a few seconds only. Simply slide the crêpe out of the pan onto a warm plate. If the pancakes look a little bit ragged in the pan, do not worry as they are going to be folded anyway. Repeat with the remaining batter. You should end up with about 15-16 crêpes.

  4. Stack the pancakes as you make them between sheets of greaseproof paper on the warm plate.

  5. To make the sauce combine all the ingredients - with the exception of the butter - in a bowl. Melt the butter in the frying pan, pour in the sauce and allow it to heat very gently. Fold each crêpes into quarters making a triangular shape. Put them into the pan and allow it to warm through. Slide this onto the very edge of the pan, tilt the pan slightly so the sauce runs back into the centre, then add the next crêpe. Continue like this until they're all re-heated, folded and well soaked with the sauce.

  6. You can flambé them at this point. Heat a ladle by holding it over a gas flame or by resting it on the edge of a hotplate, then, away from the heat, pour a little of the liqueur into it, return it to the heat to warm the spirit, then set light to it. Carry the flaming ladle to the table over the pan and pour the flames over the crêpes before serving.

Notes:

You can serve these with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or enjoy it as it is with an extra shot of Cointreau.

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