Cooking crepes is a classic French recipe that is simple to make and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert.
The great thing about making French crepes is that no matter what meal you cook them for, the central part of the dish stays the same. The light, doughy crepe can be stuffed with anything and everything, from eggs to chicken to mushrooms to chocolate.
The Perfect French Crepe Recipe
Ingredients
2/3 cup of cold milk
1 cup sifted flour
3 large eggs
2/3 cup of cold water
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter
Mixing the Crepe Batter
1. Add the flour to a mixing bowl. While you whisk slowly, add the milk in, then the water a little at a time. Whisk until the mixture is smooth without lumps. Next, keep using the whisk and add the salt, eggs and half of the melted butter.
2. Let the bowl with the crepe mixture sit in the refrigerator for an hour and a half to let it rest and harden up a little bit.
Cooking the Crepes
1. Set a medium to large-sized frying pan (the size depends on how large you want the crepes to be) on the stovetop. If you are making them often, you may wish to purchase a crepe pan. Turn the heat to medium. When the pan starts to get hot, drop some water on it. If the droplets jump up and down, your pan is ready for crepe-making.
2. Brush some of the melted butter onto the pan. Slowly pour 1/4 to a 1/3 cup of crepe batter into the centre of the pan. If it does not spread out on its own, pick up the pan and tilt it in a circular motion to distribute the batter evenly. You want the pan to be coated lightly to create lovely thin authentic crepes.
3. Set the pan back on the stovetop. Wait about 25 to 30 seconds, and use a small spatula to lift up the side of the crepe. It should be starting to brown. Flip it over onto the other side and cook for another fifteen seconds.
If you want an extra kick, right after you flip the crepe onto the second side, add a large tablespoon of whiskey or scotch to sizzle in the crepe.
Choosing the Fillings for the Crepes
Here are some great ideas for different meals to go with your french crepe recipe.
Fill up your stomach with breakfast crepes stuffed with omelettes, scrambled eggs, veggies, cheese, sausage, bacon, and different fruits (such as apples, berries, peaches, etc.). Whipped cream, yoghurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and honey are a few ideas.
Have a light lunch with crepes that double as melts or light sandwiches, such as ham and cheese, tomato, basil and mozzarella, spinach, a combination of veggies such as mushrooms, asparagus, peppers and zucchini; prosciutto, pesto and chicken, and ratatouille.
Dinner can be made savoury but light at the same time, but filling a crepe with combinations of meat and vegetables, creamy grated cheese such as Gruyere, eggs, shrimp or other seafood with vegetables, sliced Italian sausage and spinach, and leek and apples.
Desserts are probably the most well-known crepe fillings. The list for dessert fillings seems to be endless, but here are some favourites: bananas and Nutella, whipped cream and berries, honey and powdered sugar, apple butter, jam, chestnut cream, chocolate sauce, ricotta cheese and fruit, a sauce mixture of orange juice, butter, orange rind and sugar, different pie fillings, and chocolate chips, to name a few.
Crepes are simple, elegant dishes to prepare for yourself, your family, your children, or entertaining guests. The fact that they can be filled with just about anything makes them hard to resist, and you can make them with essential ingredients in your house.