Desayuno

I love to make crepes. There is something about the process of it, the flipping, the folding, or maybe the friends lining up with plates. I made up this combination on New Year’s eve, having decided at eight PM that we needed to have something that tasted good. We can’t be in Paris every New Year’s eve, but we can eat like it! Even with frozen berries, it turned out very well. (Despite that, I have included a variation here for fresh strawberries. Because if you have them, you should use them.) In any case, here it is: The last thing I cooked in 2006.

Crepes:

• 1 cup (120g) flour
• 1 cup (230ml) cream
• 1/2 cup (120ml) water
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp (5ml) vanilla
• 2tbsp (30ml) brandy
• Butter for the pan

Cream

• 2 cups (450ml) heavy cream
• 1/3 cup (66g) white sugar

Berries (ideal)

• 1 pound (450g) ripe strawberries
• 1 cup (230ml) red wine
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 2tbsp (10g) cornstarch

Berries (winter)

• 12 oz (350g) frozen berries (your choice)
• 12 oz (350ml) white wine (on the sweet side)
• 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
• 2tbsp (30ml) white wine
• 2tbsp (10g) cornstarch

Whichever version of the berry sauces you are going to make, it should be the first thing you make, because it will need time to cool.

If it is summertime and you have fresh strawberries, by all means, use them! Slice them fairly thin and lay them out in a large dish. Pour the wine over them, and then sprinkle on the sugar. There’s no need to stir! Cover them and place in the refrigerator for an hour at least, or overnight if you have the time. (You don’t, do you? Neither did I. An hour is fine.) Once they have macerated for a while, remove the strawberries to a bowl with a slotted spoon, and pour the juice into a sauce pan, leaving 2tbsp (30ml) aside in a small glass. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium high heat, and while it is heating, add the corn starch to the liquid you reserved, making sure to stir it in completely. Stirring constantly, pour in the cornstarch slurry, and continue to stir over medium high heat until the mixture thickens. (About three minutes.) Let the sauce cool, and then gently fold back in the strawberries.

If you are using frozen berries, place them in a saucepan with the larger portion of wine and all the sugar. Cook over low heat until they are thawed. After they have thawed, but before they have cooked, remove the berries with a slotted spoon, and bring the liquid to a boil. While the liquid is heating, mix the smaller portion of wine with the cornstarch and stir well. The procedure continues in the same manner as for strawberries: Stirring constantly, pour in the cornstarch slurry, and continue to stir over medium high heat until the mixture thickens. (About three minutes.) Let the sauce cool, and then gently fold back in the berries.

The whipped cream should be made next, so that it has time to chill in the freezer. Whip the cream and the sugar together until stiff, and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Now it is time for the crepes. Beat the cream, vanilla, brandy, eggs and half of the water together. Add the flour and mix until thoroughly combined. It should be quite thin. Much thinner than pancake better, but not quite watery. If you need to, add some or all of the remaining water. (You can always make one to test and add more water if you think it needs thinning)

That is the easy part. Now to the cooking. Crepes can be tricky. I have made a lot of crepes, and most of the time they turn out perfectly, lightly golden, lacy, and almost paper thin. The first almost always sticks or tears as you get the pan to the right temperature and properly lubricated, but after that, they just seem to make themselves. Some nights, though, for no reason I have been able to discern, it takes five or six false starts. Here are a few tips that seem to help:

If you do not have a crepe pan, that’s okay. Lower sides make things easier, but honestly, if the crepes are doing what they should, a normal frying pan should be fine. But bigger is better. And thicker is better. More room and even heating are important. I have never used nonstick for this, but I imagine it would work fine. Prep with a very light wipe of butter before pouring in the batter.

The pan should be quite hot, hotter than for pancakes. Don’t go crazy, but medium high seems to work well. Especially because the pan will spend so much time off the burner.

Get that pan up in the air! You may look funny dancing around the kitchen shaking a hot skillet, but the best way to spread the batter is to pick up the pan and move it around. When you set the pan back on the stove, count to five and it will be time to flip. (Watch the edges. They turn golden when it is time to flip.)

Work a thin spatula under the edges carefully. You will know immediately if it is going to release or if you will need to scrape it out and start over. If the spatula is too blunt, use a knife to lift an edge, and flip with your fingers. But fast! Don’t get burned!

Lift the pan off the burner again and carry it to the plate if you are serving immediately, or to a cooling rack if you are going to make several and serve all at once. Invert it and let the crepe drop out.

Put the pan back on the burner, give it a tiny bit of butter, and repeat immediately.