Classic Crepe Suzette Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the milk, orange liqueur, vanilla, and orange zest and flour until combined. If the mixture is too thick, add the remaining milk until a thin consistency is achieved. Cover and refrigerate batter for 30 minutes.
• Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Cover the surface of the pan with clarified butter until it gets sizzling hot. Ladle some batter onto the middle of the crepe pan and immediately start swirling the pan to distribute the batter over the surface. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds or until lightly golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side for 20 seconds. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
• In a large skillet over high heat, bring the orange juice to a boil. Add the sugar and zest, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the orange liqueur and orange sections. Set aside.
• Working in batches, gently place a crepe into the pan holding the orange juice and orange sections. Leave for 1 minute to absorb some juice. Using a narrow spatula, remove the crepe to a warm serving plate. Repeat with remaining crepes. Roll the crepes into a cylinder. Spoon on some of the orange sections. Serve 2 crepes per person. Top with vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the crepes: In a blender, add the milk, eggs, melted butter and 1/4 cup water; blend to combine. Add the flour, sugar and salt and blend, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed, until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover and let the batter rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Re-blend the batter just before cooking. Heat a nonstick crepe pan or 10-inch nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Coat the pan with a small amount of butter and allow it to froth and bubble. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into the center of the pan and lift and swirl to spread the batter evenly over the bottom of the pan in a circular motion. When the crepe begins to set, the edges get a little lacy and the bottom gets a little color, about 1 minute, carefully flip with a spatula. Continue cooking until lightly browned on the second side, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate or sheet pan. Repeat until the batter is used up, stacking the crepes as made. (You should have about 8 crepes.)
• For the sauce: In a 10-inch skillet, bring the juice to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and continue to simmer until the juice reduces down by two-thirds, or until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Melt half the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the orange segments, half the zest strips and half the reduced orange juice and allow the orange segments to soften and the liquid to reduce, about 1 minute. Fold each crepe in half, and then in half again to form triangles. Add half the folded crepes to the sauce in a single layer, then allow them to be gently coated in the sauce. Flip and coat the other side. Add half the orange liqueur to the pan and allow it to reduce slightly. Pour half the cognac into the pan, then tip the pan to catch the flame and ignite the sauce. (Alternatively, use a long stick lighter to ignite the liquor.) Allow the flame to burn off the alcohol. Transfer the crepes to plates and serve with the Whipped Crème Fraîche. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients to make 2 more servings.
• Lightly whisk the crème fraîche and vanilla paste in a chilled bowl until the crème fraîche is slightly loosened up and the vanilla is incorporated. Chill until ready to use.

Steps:

• Put the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, add the eggs, oil and 2 tbsp of the milk, and beat together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Slowly start to pour in a little milk, mixing as you pour, to keep the batter smooth. Pour in the rest of the milk, a bit more quickly now, until it looks like single cream. Finally, add the beer.
• Heat a 15cm/6in crêpe pan. Measure 21⁄2 tbsp of the batter into a jug, then pour into the pan, moving it around so the mixture swirls and fits the bottom of the pan. When the crêpe is golden underneath (in about 15 seconds if pan is the right temperature), turn and cook for a further 30 seconds, until spotted brown.
• Slide the crêpe on to a plate. Wipe the pan with oiled kitchen paper and continue frying until all the batter is used, stacking the crêpes on top of each other as you cook them. You can freeze the pancakes at this stage, wrapped in cling film and foil. Or make a day ahead, wrap and keep in the fridge. To reheat, put on an ovenproof plate, cover with foil and warm in a 180C/Gas 4/fan oven 160C for 10-15 minutes. (If using for Crêpes Suzette, warm through in the sauce.)
• TO MAKE CRÊPES SUZETTE - Make the crêpes as above.
• For the sauce, heat the butter and sugar in a deep frying pan (about 25cm/10in) over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar begins to dissolve; turn up the heat and bubble quite fast, until the mixture just starts to go brown and caramelise (about 4 minutes), stirring only towards the end. Pour in the orange juice (see left); add the orange and lemon zests, letting the mixture bubble for 3-4 minutes to thicken slightly. Add the Grand Marnier and cognac, heat for a few seconds and lower the heat.
• Put one crêpe into the juices and, holding it with a fork, coat it well in the mixture. Fold it into quarters and push to one side of the pan. Continue the coating and folding with the remaining pancakes. Serve 2-3 crêpes per person with the sauce.

Steps:

• To make the crêpes, combine milk, water, eggs, sugar, and salt in a blender; blend on medium speed until smooth, about 10 seconds. Add flour and blend until smooth, about 5 more seconds. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and orange zest; pulse until incorporated, about 3 (1-second) pulses. Cover blender and place in refrigerator; let rest for 20 minutes.
• Remove crêpe batter from fridge. Heat a small (6-inch) nonstick skillet or crêpe pan over medium. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the melted butter and swirl to coat skillet. Add 2 tablespoons batter and swirl to coat bottom of skillet. Cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is lightly golden, and the top is still a little moist, about 1 minute. Swirl skillet to loosen crêpe and gently flip with a spatula and your fingers. Cook until golden, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining butter and batter.
• To make orange sauce, combine orange juice, white sugar, and orange zest in a small skillet over medium. Cook, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved and the liquid starts to bubble, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the butter, piece by piece, stirring constantly, until it is melted and fully incorporated, about 2 minutes. Let sauce come back up to a simmer and let simmer until slightly syrupy, stirring occasionally, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in orange liqueur and salt. Remove from the heat.
• Fold each crêpe in half, then half again to make a triangle. Dip the folded crêpes into the hot orange sauce. Place on a serving platter. Repeat with remaining crêpes, overlapping each crêpe so they are facing the same direction.
• To serve, pour orange liqueur into the skillet with the remaining orange sauce and place over medium-high. If it does not ignite automatically, use a long-stemmed lighter and carefully set the liqueur on fire. Let it burn for about 30 seconds. Pour the flaming liqueur over the crêpes on the platter and serve immediately with ice cream.

Steps:

• Prepare pancakes following the classic recipe - see 'Goes well with'. Fold the pancakes into quarters.
• Tip the caster sugar into a non-stick frying pan and set the pan over a low-medium heat. Allow the sugar to melt slowly without stirring and continue to cook until it becomes a deep amber-coloured caramel.
• Immediately slide the pan off the heat and add the orange juice - be careful as it may splatter and spit as it hits the hot caramel. Add the orange zest, lemon juice, the Grand Marnier and return the pan to a low heat to re-melt the caramel into the liquid.
• Add the butter to the sauce in small pieces, bring to the boil and simmer gently until glossy and reduced slightly. Add the pancakes to the pan and warm through. Serve immediately.