Crêpes do not need to be stuffy. Play with batter ingredients to make it lighter and easier on the digestive system.
Use an old variety of wheat (which is faster to assimilate as the length of the molecule chain is shorter). If you are gluten intolerant, consider an amalgame of buckwheat (blé noir / sarrasin), rice flour (it will render the batter super light), chick pea flour, corn flour…
We are lucky around Lagamas to have some producers of ancient wheat varieties stemming from Medieval times. They sometimes also mill the grains like meunier Philippe Hesse d’Alzon, who sell via ochamps and at markets and local fairs. Because the grain is not processed industrially, the nutritious components (the bran and germ) are not taken away from the endosperm (where most of the starchy carbs are contained and spike your blood sugar): you will thus feel fed with less, and be fed better.
Using beer (or cider) will have the same effect as yeast or bicarbonate, with the additional twist on the buds.
For small parties, I usually cook crêpes (especially the savoury ones) at the time everyone is seated – the service rotation will be less than 2 minutes between two guests. A chatty solution is to eat on the kitchen table, and to have snacks like olives to keep everyone patient.
For larger parties, I tend to stack the crêpes on a preheated plate and keep them warm by covering with aluminium foil or placing them in the oven at low temperature (one does not want them to dry up).
INGREDIENTS For 4 convives / 12 crêpes
– 400g flour of ancient wheat variety (do not hesitate to mix flours)
– 4dl beer (or cider) and milk in variable proportions
– 4 eggs
– 75g butter
– a pinch of salt
Toppings for the savoury crêpes (out of an endless suite of combos):
* grated cheese (Emmental and Gruyère are more refined) + ham or lardons + mushrooms + fried egg
* spinach + fried egg + crême fraîche + muscade
* Roquefort + pear + walnuts
* goat cheese + fig chutney
For the sweet crêpes:
– batter: some sugar and as flavour a few spoons of orange blossom water or calvados/rhum
– toppings: home made marmelade, chestnut purée (crême de marron) & crème Chantilly, lemon juice, honey & almond flakes, melted chocolate (Meunier brand reminds me of my childhood), berries, sliced banana…
PREPARATION (5 mins)
In a large bowl, create a well with the flour to receive the eggs, melted butter and salt. Start whisking slowly, bringing the flour in gradually. Add the mix of lukewarm milk and beer in, so all is thoroughly incorporated with no ‘grumeaux’.
Ideally, let the batter sit for 1 hour or so, so that the beer delivers its effects.
COOKING
Use preferably a flat pan (i.e. with low edges – they can now be found in most kitchen shops and supermarkets), as it will make it easier to flip the crêpes. When choosing your non-stick skillet, avoid teflon, which is toxic, and prefer a stone surface.
There is no need to oil or butter the pan, as the batter already contains some butter.
Get the pan heated to medium heat (around 7 out of 10). When it is hot but not smoking (test with a drop of batter: it should solidify instantly), pour half a ladle of batter into the center of the skillet, and rotate it so the batter covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer, patching any hole and pouring out any excess batter. After a few crêpes, you will have gauged the right amount of batter to pour in for a perfect thin round, with no need to pour out excess.
Don’t be deterred if the first crêpes are a bit of a disaster – they are for the cook to test and the pan to reach the right temperature and butter coating!
Cook the crepe until it is just golden on one side, 1 to 2 minutes. You will see the edge turning crispy. Test the robustness of the crêpe by sliding a thin spatula underneath. It should not crease…
When turning the crêpe, you can either use the spatula, or flip it in the air after having ensured with the spatula that the crêpe does not stick to the skillet. The latter is much more fun! The trick is to position the crêpe slightly on the opposite edge of the pan (let it slides), to lift the pan enough to have some space underneath, and to create an impulse a bit like fencing upwards.
If you are stuffing with savoury toppings, pre-cook the ingredients (e.g. fried egg, lardons, spinach, mushrooms) and add the toppings immediately after the crêpe has been flipped. It will allow the cheese to melt. Flip the four slides to form a square. It will help sliding the stuffed crêpe onto each plate, and will retain the heat.
When you have had enough of savoury crêpes, stir in the sugar and flavour of your choice.
Towards the end of the batter, as it becomes thicker (flour loves the bottom… especially when unrefined), add a little bit of beer or milk to keep the same consistency. It will give you the extra crêpe to hide away as a reward for pouring and flipping the meal long!
Lagamas Kitchen 