Recipe: Classic Crêpes For Breakfast

A Difference of Opinion

There exists a cultural divide at our breakfast table – in truth probably more than one, as I never eat fried eggs and bacon or toasted Nothing Bread  –  the last item is a translation from my Italian son-in-law’s name for industrial sliced sandwich bread. On  one side, one of us was raised on the fluffy American style pancakes, which he once garnished  (but then never again) with something called blackstrap molasses. A side note for those of you who are contemplating blackstrap—don’t. Even the British version – treacle – which some consider pretty hideous,  is sweeter and less gloppy than blackstrap. The latter  is the bitter result of the third boiling of either sugar beet or sugar cane. Apparently it is an acquired taste.

The Italian Insider daughter makes a type of  American pancake called  Silver Dollar, from a marvelous cookbook written by  Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison in 2002 titled A Real American Breakfast -another AOOP* book, unfortunately. My English grandson at age 10, has been trained by his British father to make and flip like a diner maestro the larger  style American pancakes. I have never been able to flip a pancake, although I am still practicing creating the wave in Italian mantecatura. 

On the other side  is myself – I have very fond  childhood  memories of pfannkuchen, eaten with butter (not a lot, as I am sure it was rationed) and jam at a large square table in an ample kitchen in post-war Germany. You can try my version of them from this post. German pancakes are somewhat like crepes but thinner, more papery and delicate, somewhat akin to the Hungarian palacsinta, but with no soda water in the recipe. 

But today I want to share a French version of this style of pancake, which can be made in several sizes. In the US, I used a a 9 1/2 inch carbon steel pan to make the large crepe.  These crêpes differ from my beloved German pancakes in that they are a bit more lush in texture and flavor, a bit more spongy, as the melted butter and rum in the batter give them more  flavor “oomph”.  For Crêpes Suzette, traditionally one would use a smaller pan (around 7 inches across). The crepes are filled folded into quarters and then sauced with a  syrupy combination of butter, caramelized sugar and orange zest, plus an orange-flavored liqueur – all flamed at the table. Lots of fun and drama.  and they provide a light and sparkling end to a meal. 

Equipment Notes

 DeBuyer, which has a website and distribution center in the US, is an excellent source for carbon steel pans. They need to be seasoned like cast iron but, with their  lighter weight and long offset handles, they are much easier to manipulate on the stove. Especially if you want to try your hand at flipping, carbon steel is indestructible and has terrific heat conduction – meaning that the metal spreads the heat evenly and quickly. I have quite a collection and use them constantly at the stove. If you go the stainless steel route, purchase one with an aluminum or carbon steel layer so that you will get better heat conduction than you would if it were all stainless steel.

Since my crepe/pfannkuchen pans are in the fabled 109 boxes in Milan, I have been testing the next generation of nonstick pans available to me in Bologna.  From reading the fine print on their labels, they are without the hideously toxic PFAs that we are burdened with from the previous generations of non-stick cookware, but who knows.  My current favorites here are made by Risoli –  an Italian cookware firm committed to low environmental impact design and manufacture. This one is solid aluminum, with a pretty impressive non-stick layer. Its   detachable heat p-proof handle  allows you to use the pan as a gratin in the oven.  You do not want enameled cast iron for crepes as the enamel inhibits quick searing. . Another good choice would be a professional weight solid aluminum frypan. Next to copper, their heat conduction is fantastic. Mine originally came from Mauviel, but I now have purchased some from Agnelli. 

Niggling Details

If you are unable  (as I am) to flip like my grandson, use a longer narrow spatula to turn them over or a fish slice – we used to call them line cook spatulas. These work better than the classic spatula that one uses to flip hamburgers and fried eggs.  

I put a plate over a saucepan of simmering water to stack the finished crepes on, which will keep them hot. When serving them, a towel keeps them warm at the table. I have become a stickler for “mise en place” and even this easy recipe is no exception. Measure out everything in bowls, cups, whatever before you start. A tip from Jacques Pepin, which I have followed for years, is to not pour your ladleful of batter in the center of the pan, but rather off to the side. Then roll the pan to allow the batter to spread across the base to create a crepe. For some reason this makes a nicer, more even crepe (or pfannkuchen). 

In the winter, I like to fill these with a cooked “compote” of  diced pears, mixed with some  raisins and walnuts, granulated sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg in a couple of tablespoons of butter, This mixture is cooke in a frypan until soft for about 15 minutes.  Add two to three tablespoons in a line down the center of each crêpe and roll up. I like to add a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream on top of each serving. People will ask for more.