Francine bon appetit

February: the month of Crepes

Ah! February!! Winter is slipping by and we are getting closer to Spring. In France, we do not celebrate Groundhog Day on February 2nd, but we celebrate La Chandeleur or Candlemas which is a midwinter festival of lights. That day, we are making Crepes. Also when you flip the crepe in the pan with one hand and you have a coin in the other hand, you will get rich for the rest of the year, if the crepe flips back into the pan. If the crepe does not flip back into the pan, you might have financial woes!!

In February, there is also the more famous celebration of Carnaval, with Mardi Gras in the middle of the month. Though a lot of people eat Beignets on that day, many also make Crepes. This is the time where we traditionally empty all the cupboards of eggs and fats so it is a perfect day to make Crepes.

Crepes are very versatile. You can be real international by using them as egg roll or pancakes for Mushu pork for an Asian flair, as a tortilla for Mexican flavor, or as a canelloni for an elegant Italian dinner. Crepes can be made as entrees, stuffed, with a sauce over them, or for desserts with a fruit or jam filling with a cream sauce over them or also plain with sugar and flambeed with liqueur.

They must always be paper thin, like lace on the outer edges!

Crepes

4 eggs

2 cups flour

2 1/2 cups milk

3 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract (those last 2 ingredients are used for dessert crepes only)

With an electric mixer, mix eggs with milk, melted butter and salt. Add flour slowly to avoid lumps. If there are lumps strain the batter. If using the dessert recipe, add sugar and vanilla when mixing the eggs. The batter can sit one hour on the counter. It will thicken a bit and be smoother.

A small non-stick pan is perfect for the job. This recipe makes 16 normal size crepes.

This is what my mom Gisele used to do: bandage a stick with a cotton cloth to oil your pan! ( I have used brushes but they get burnt with the heat so the above works better!!) Dip that bandaged stick in some oil or margarine or melted butter and run it all over the pan. A little will go a long way! Use medium high heat, pour a scoop of batter and swirl it around until it coats the pan thinly. Start with half a scoop at first and then see if more needs to be added. After a while, you will know how much to use in the pan you have. Cook on the stove until bubbles form and the edges become slightly brown. Run a spatula around the edges to detach the sides of the crepe. Flip over and cook the other side of the crepe for a shorter time, 1 minute at the most. The crepe is ready when the center is soft and the edges are crispy.

Stack on a plate and keep warm in a 150 degrees Fahrenheit oven, covered with foil.

Ideas for entrees crepes:

Stuffed entrees crepes with a sauce over can be made a day ahead. They will keep better because the filling and the sauce will prevent them from drying out. Try Chicken a la King, or ham topped with a Mornay sauce, broccoli or spinach or sauteed mushrooms with a Mornay Sauce. Also sausages or ground meats in a tomato sauce or even with ratatouille.

Ideas for dessert crepes:

The French are famous for Crepes Suzette, which are crepes in an orange sauce (with the juice and zest of 2 oranges) flambeed in Cointreau or Grand-Marnier. In Normandy, the crepes are stuffed with sliced cooked apples and flambeed in Calvados (Apple Jack). They can also be filled with strawberries and whipped cream on top. My favorite is filled with orange marmalade and sprinkled with Grand-Marnier. You can flambe crepes with dark rum, brandy or Cognac, Cointreau or Grand-Marnier. Try them filled with pastry cream too!! Ooohh! Delicieux!!!