Thin French pancakes or crepes: recipes and cooking features

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

In every cuisine of the world there is an old, original recipe for pancakes. They can be made from different flours, vary in thickness and size. Buckwheat, wheat, rice, corn, oatmeal, sponge and simple - the whole variety cannot be listed. And despite the fact that we used to consider thin pancakes to be primordially Russian, there is a similar dish in many other countries. As a rule, they practically do not differ in composition, but still have specific features.

Today we will talk about thin French pancakes. They are called "crepes".

Features of crepes

Thin and fragrant crepes are most often associated with Brittany, but nevertheless they are loved to be cooked all over France. Moreover, in terms of popularity, they compete with the traditional croissant.

Sweet pancakes are usually made from wheat flour, and buckwheat is preferable for s alty pancakes. The latter are traditionally served with hearty fillings: mushrooms, egg and ham, artichoke, cheese, ratatouille. The filling is placed in the very center, and the edges ofdough is carefully tucked up like an envelope.

Sweet pancakes are served for dessert and breakfast. They can simply be drizzled with butter or chocolate and sprinkled with powdered sugar. For more complex fillings, whipped cream, fruits, syrups, custard, jams are used. There is even a special variety - French pancakes suzette. They are served with aromatic orange sauce, which is prepared with Cointreau or Grand Marnier liqueur.

Crêpes are one of the most important recipes for every professional chef, as they are basic, ie. an excellent platform for further experiments with the filling. Well, ordinary housewives take note of the recipe for French pancakes, as they say, God himself ordered.

Creps: dough ingredients

In fact, there is absolutely nothing complicated in the ingredient composition of crepes and the process of their preparation. Products for the dough can be found in every refrigerator, however, as well as for the filling. Who among us does not have a jar of plain jam or jam?!

So, to prepare the dough you need to take:

• 4 large eggs;
• 2 tbsp. l. softened butter;
• 350 ml milk;
• 125g flour;
• ½ tsp s alt.

Cooking

In a bowl, first lightly beat the eggs with a regular whisk. Then add all the other ingredients to them and mix well. It should be liquid and homogeneous.dough.

Use a good frying pan for French pancakes. As a rule, experienced housewives use the same one from time to time. Nothing else is fried in these pans. However, now you can buy special dishes with very low sides.

Heat the pan well and lightly brush with butter. Then pour the dough in the center. Its volume should be approximately ¼ cup. Quickly, before it has time to seize, spread it evenly over the surface of the pan, to do this, simply tilt it in the right direction.

Bake the pancake until the edges begin to dry out and tuck up, and the middle is set. Then turn it over and fry for a few more minutes. French pancakes have two distinctive features. Firstly, they are very, very thin, almost transparent. Secondly, they are not fried or ruddy, but milky white.

French crepes with egg and ham

As mentioned above, the filling for crepes can be almost any, that is, the one that suits you and your family. We recommend trying the most common of the savory options - with ham and egg.

First, make the French pancakes from the recipe above. Set them aside. Fry eggs in a pan. Place a slice of ham in the center of each pancake. Then carefully place the fried egg. Fold up the edges as shown in the photo. Sprinkle green onion, black pepper and s alt on top of breakfast.

The technology for preparing the second version of French egg pancakes is somewhat different. It allows you to serve them piping hot. After frying the pancake on one side to a light golden color, it does not need to be turned over. Crack an egg in the center and fold the edges in as shown in the photo. Next, bring the eggs to readiness. You can close the pan on top with a lid for 1-2 minutes. On top, you can sprinkle a pancake with an egg with herbs and pieces of pre-fried bacon.

Suzette French Crepes: Orange Sauce Recipe

To make a tart, sweet and fragrant orange sauce for classic crepes, you will need:

• 6 art. l. uns alted butter;
• 50-60g sugar + powdered sugar for sprinkling;
• 1 tbsp l. finely grated orange zest;
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice;
• 20ml Grand Marnier;
• 2 tbsp. l. cognac.

Preparing the sauce

The preparation of the sauce should be started after the French pancakes are ready. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, orange zest and sugar until smooth and smooth. With the machine running, gradually add orange juice.

Preheat the oven. Place orange butter in the center of each pancake, then fold it in half twice to form a triangle. Arrange them on a greased sheet in one line, slightly overlapping. Then sprinkle with 2 tbsp. l. sugar and bakein the oven over medium heat, about two minutes. The surface should caramelize.

In a heat-resistant dish, carefully transfer the pancakes with a spatula. In a separate saucepan, heat the liqueur and cognac. Set fire to the mixture and carefully pour it onto the surface of the pancakes. Tilt the plate to the sides to evenly moisten them and thereby extinguish the flame. French pancakes with orange sauce should be served immediately while they are still very hot.

Crepes with cheese, sour cream and herbs

To prepare delicious cheese crepes stuffed with sour cream and herbs, you need to make some adjustments to the dough recipe. Everything is quite simple. Add grated Parmesan to it (100-150 g per the above amount of milk and flour). Mix the dough thoroughly, there should be no lumps left. Next, cook pancakes in a preheated pan, as expected.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup of heavy sour cream, finely chopped green onion and add pepper and s alt to taste. On the surface of each pancake, apply a thin layer of ½ tbsp. l. fillings, retreating 1-1.5 cm from the edge. Then roll them into a "cigar". Serve hot pancakes with cheese and sour cream.