Taste Scene: Best crêpe recipe ever

“Can I have some crops or craps or crepes – or whatever those things are called?”

Anna was, of course, referring to crêpes, the super-thin pancakes we’d had the previous day for lunch. First a savoury and then for dessert, a sweet one (yum!).

“They’re called crêpes,” I informed her, trying not to laugh.

“Whatever, Trevor. This time instead of the one with cheese and then the one with Nutella, I want two Nutella ones.”

“Aye, that sounds about right.”

“Really?”

“No!”

As well as our crêpe consumption, Anna’s rhyming shtick is another thing which is ramping up of late. Instead of replying to any question in the mere affirmative Anna will usually say, “Yes in a dress.” Or when it’s a negative the response is, “Nope on a rope.” Personally I find this extended rhyming particularly useful when it comes to swearing but not swearing. Example: “You’re wan cupid stunt!” Anyways…

You may remember from previous scribblings that my friend from sunnier climes, JC, brought with him the Best Crêpe Recipe Ever, when he visited last month. I’m not exaggerating about this either and I was especially surprised at how magnificent it was when I saw what ingredients went into the batter mix.

“Nope on the rope,” I was thinking to myself as he mixed dark rum with the batter and then thinned the mix out with almost an entire bottle of beer. Quelling my misgivings I enquired a tad more diplomatically, “Will the kids like this?”

“Yes for success,” he replied, extrapolating on Anna’s theme.

Still, I wasn’t convinced, mainly because of the copious amounts of alcohol included. Still, I was willing to give it a go and still and all, I should never have doubted.

You might be reading this and thinking, “Dunno about crepes, hi. I don’t have one of those fancy T-shaped sticks that the professional crêpe makers use. It all sounds too fiddly.”

But no. I was thinking exactly the same thing and it wasn’t until I watched JC making the crêpes that I realised how easy they could be.

Basically, in terms of equipment, all you need is a large, non-stick frying pan and a ladle. And that’s it.

In place of the T-shaped stick which is used to spread the thin crêpe batter around the frying surface, JC simply lifted and tilted the pan, allowing the thin batter to run around and cover the surface. The key, he explained is that the pan is kept hot at all times and that the batter is thin. And that’s it. After that, it’s as easy as making the regular pancakes that we all know and love.

But don’t just take my word for it.

INGREDIENTS

50g of butter

50g of caster sugar

100ml of milk

half a tsp of vanilla extract

200g of plain flour

pinch of salt

60ml of vegetable oil

3 or 4 eggs, depending on size

50ml of dark rum

1 bottle of warm lager (330ml)

THE PLAN

First, add the milk, butter, sugar and vanilla to a sauce pan and heat (don’t use the vanilla if you’re making savoury crepes and use half the amount of sugar). Heat gently until the butter has melted and then set aside until cool.

In the meantime, dig out a large bowl and add in the flour and the pinch of salt, make a well and then pour in the oil. Whisk in the eggs one at a time and keep whisking until they’re all incorporated. It will look like a bit of a mess in a dress at this stage but fear not!

Dump in the rum and then pour in half the beer and whisk some more. Keep pouring and whisking until you have a lump-free, quite thin mixture. And don’t worry that it’s too thin. It will naturally thicken up as it rests.

Let the batter rest for half and hour and then it’s ready to go.

To cook, I use a large non-stick pan, 28cm in diameter. I set the heat to ‘7’ and then let it sit for a few minutes until it reaches optimum temperature. Also, because there is oil and butter in the batter, there’s no need for any extra fats.

Start the first crêpe with a full ladle of the batter and then if it runs too thickly onto the pan when you lift and tilt, do the next one only three quarters full – the first crêpe is always a mess anyway.

After that, it’s just a matter of cooking to order. After I pour an almost-full ladle of the batter onto the pan, lift and tilt to cover the surface area, I watch until the surface is covered in small bubble, much in the same way a regular pancake would work. It’s also a good sign if it starts to curl away from the sides.

Instead of using a spatula, to turn, I use my fingers and pick up from the far side and flip. And it’s a few seconds after the flip that I start to add the toppings. But whatever you’re using, be generous – as in one of the pictures.

The quantities here for the batter makes quite a bite but what you don’t use can be decanted into a container and kept in the fridge for a few days. Because after the first time these are tasted no doubt there will be someone in the house asking when you’re next having those crops or craps or crepes – or whatever those things are called.

Bon appétit les amis!