Crepes Directoire Recipes

BASIC CREPES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
• Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
• Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

CREPES DIRECTOIRE

Steps:

• Sift flour, sugar, and salt. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until no lumps remain (you may use an electric mixer at slow speed). Mix in lemon rind or vanilla, cognac, and melted butter. Slowly add milk and mix until batter is consistency of thin cream. Let it stand an hour or two before making crêpes.
• Heat a crêpe pan (either 6-inch or 10-inch, according to desired size of crêpes) and rub it with butter. For each crêpe, pour a little batter into the pan, tilting about to let it run over the bottom in a fairly thin layer. When lightly browned on the bottom, turn carefully and brown other side. As each crêpe is cooked, remove it to a hot platter and keep warm. Re-butter pan as needed.
• Bake bananas in skins in a 350&176;F. oven for 15 to 18 minutes, while preparing pastry cream. Heat sugar and Grand Marnier in a shallow, flameproof serving dish, carmelizing it slowly over very low heat. Spread each crêpe with pastry cream, topped with a halved or whole banana, according to size and sprinkle liberally with almonds. Roll up crêpes and arrange them in pan with carmelized sugar. Sprinkle with a little sugar, add a dash or so of Grand Marnier and heat through quickly in the oven or on top of the stove. Pour cognac over crêpes and ignite. Spoon juices over crêpes and serve.

LES CREPES D'OR

Steps:

• For batter: Place flour in bowl. Gradually add eggs and milk, beating continuously. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in a cool place for 4 hours.
• For filling: Melt butter in saucepan over moderate heat. Gradually add in flour and cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken stock, whisking continuously until thoroughly blended. Bring to boil and cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to gentle simmer.
• In frying pan, cook chicken in a little clarified butter over moderate heat. Rub tarragon between palms over chicken to coarsely grind. Season with salt and white pepper. After 4 minutes, turn breasts over, reduce heat and cook until done.
• To assemble: Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in omelet pan. Pour butter into pancake batter and mix well. Pour a good amount of pancake batter into pan to make heavy pancakes. When one side is cooked, do not flip. Add 2 tablespoons grated cheese to uncooked side and place under broiler for a moment to brown. Repeat to make 1 more pancake.
• Lay 1 chicken breast on the cheese side of each pancake. Cover chicken with prosciutto and fold pancake over to form a semi-circle.
• To hot sauce, add 2 tablespoons cheese and pour over pancakes. Sprinkle tops of pancakes with remaining cheese and broil for 2 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with chives and garnish with caviar.

EASY CREPES WITH BRANDY

Steps:

• In a blender, combine milk and eggs. Mix on medium-high speed until foamy, about 10 seconds. Turn blender to low speed and remove feed top. With blender going, add sugar and salt. Replace feed top and blend on high speed for a few seconds, then turn blender back to low. In the same manner, add butter, brandy, and vanilla, replacing feed top and blending for several seconds after each addition. Turn blender off. Add flour all at once and blend until just combined.
• Place crepe pan over moderately high heat. With flexible spatula, spread a tiny amount of butter in pan (an alternative method is to brush the pan with melted butter using a pastry brush) and heat until butter just begins to smoke. Pour ¼ to ⅓ cup batter into the center of the pan. As you pour, quickly tilt the pan in all directions to spread a thin layer of batter across the bottom. Pour in just enough batter to cover the pan.
• Cook crepe over moderately high heat until bubbles just begin to form on the exposed surface, about one to two minutes. Lift up the edge to check the cooking process-if the crepe starts to burn before it is cooked through, turn down the heat. If it is not nicely browned after two minutes, turn up the heat.
• When underside of crepe is browned, flip and cook another minute or less, until other side is browned. Remove from pan and keep warm in the oven, loosely covered with foil.
• Grease pan with a very small amount of butter and repeat process. Continue until remaining batter is used, stacking cooked crepes on a plate in the oven. To serve, sprinkle each crepe with sugar or spread with jelly and fold or roll up. Do Ahead: Crepe batter can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate, covered, and blend briefly to recombine before cooking.