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Method:
place flour in an earthenware bowl, add the eggs and work
up to a batter, gradually incorporating the cream, melted butter and
spices. Cook the crepes: as soon as the batter is poured onto the
cook plate, scatter over a pinch of currants. Flip the crepe and serve.
CREPES SUZETTE – THE ORIGINAL RECIPE
Ingredients (crepe batter):
250g plain flour, 6 eggs, 100g butter,
1/2 litre milk, vanilla-flavoured sugar, cognac or rum.
Method:
make the crepe batter and leave to stand. While batter is
resting in a warm bowl prepare 150g of butter by beating and softening
it with a wooden spoon, adding 125g of castor sugar, the juice and
grated zest of 2 mandarins with 2 tblsp of cognac or rum. Cook the
crepes. When serving, top each crepe with a layer of mandarin butter,
fold into 4, then fold into 8.
N.B.: this is the authentic recipe. In restaurants, Crepes Suzettes
are usually prepared with orange and flambéed, often overzealously!
b) Savoury Crepes
CREPES WITH MUSHROOMS
Ingredients:
12 crepes, 1/2 litre milk, 40g cornflour, 300-400g fresh
mushrooms, half a lemon, 70g butter, 1 shallot, salt, pepper, nutmeg.
Method:
trim woody part of stem, then clean mushrooms carefully in
water with a touch of vinegar. Drain them and chop finely. Place over
a medium heat and sweat until the juices start to run. While they are
over the heat, make a Bechamel sauce with the milk and cornflour
then season it with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. When the sauce
is ready, incorporate 20g of butter. Gently sweat the mushrooms and
shredded shallot in 50g of butter. Add the lemon juice. Season lightly.
Cover and leave to simmer for 10-15 minutes. When mushrooms are
cooked, incorporate them into the Bechamel sauce. Fill the crepes
with this mixture and fold them into 4. Sprinkle with grated gruyere
cheese and bake au gratin in a medium oven until topping is browned.
SEAFOOD CREPES
Ingredients:
12 crepes, 2 litres mussels, 220g crabmeat, 150g shelled
prawns, shrimp butter, 5cl calvados, 6 tblspns cream, 1 tblspn flour,
3 shallots, chives, paprika, cayenne pepper, butter, salt and pepper.
Method:
carefully wash and scrape mussels then place in water and
heat until they open. Drain the crabmeat into a container, adding any
juice to the juices retained from the mussels. Shred the crabmeat and
brown it gently in the butter with the prawns. Sprinkle with calvados,
flambé, then keep warm. Fry chopped shallots gently in butter until
golden and transparent. When they turn golden, stir in the flour and
slacken this roux with the reserved juices. Add the cream, leave on a
low heat for 6-7 minutes to thicken. Beating continuously with a whisk,
add the shrimp butter in small amounts, then the mussels, prawns
and crabmeat (with their cooking butter), salt, pepper, paprika and
cayenne pepper. Put in a bainmarie or place bowl over a saucepan
of simmering water. Garnish crepes with prepared mixture. Sprinkle
with chopped chives.
CHEESE CREPES
Ingredients:
12 crepes, 150-200g Gruyere cheese or processed
Gruyere cheese, 2 tblspns milk, 1 tblspn butter.
