market gourmet

Basic Crêpes

From How to Cook by Darina Allen ($26.99, Kyle Books, 2021)

6 oz plain flour Good pinch of salt 2 tsp powdered sugar 2 large, organic, free-range eggs, plus 1 or 2 egg yolks Scant 16 fl oz whole milk, or for very crisp and light delicate pancakes, milk and water mixed 6-8 Tbsp melted unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

1. To make batter, put all ingredients except melted butter into a food processor and whizz for a minute or two. Alternatively, sift flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl. Make a well in the center and drop in lightly beaten eggs. With a whisk or wooden spoon, starting in the center, mix eggs and gradually bring in flour. Add milk slowly and beat until batter is covered with bubbles.

2. If time allows, let batter sit in a cold place for an hour or so—longer will do no harm. Just before you cook crêpes, stir in the melted butter. This will make all the difference to the flavor and texture and means you can cook the crêpes without greasing the pan each time.

3. Heat an 8-inch non-stick crêpe pan until very hot. Grease pan lightly with some butter and pour in just enough batter to cover base of pan thinly. A small ladle can be very useful for this. Loosen crêpe around edges, flip over with a spatula, cook for a second or two on other side, and slide off pan on to a plate. Repeat to make additional crêpes. The crêpes may be stacked on top of each other and peeled apart later. The greasing of the pan is only necessary for the first two or three crêpes.

4. Serve each crêpe with your favorite fruit. Cooked crêpes will keep in the fridge for several days. They also freeze perfectly. If they’re to be frozen, it’s probably a good idea to put a disc of baking parchment between each crêpe for extra safety.

Per serving (2 crêpes): 277 Calories, 7 g Protein, 27 g Carbohydrates, 5 g Total sugars (1 g Added sugars), 1 g Fiber, 16 g Total fat (9 g sat), 311 mg Sodium, HH Vitamin B12, H Vitamin A, B2 (riboflavin), D, Calcium, Phosphorus