Don’t call it a pancake, because it’s not. It’s a crepe. Are the
two first cousins? Sure.
They both date back to Medieval Europe, and still get special
recognition in some cultures on Pancake Day, the Tuesday before
Lent in Catholic tradition.
Don’t call it a pancake, because it’s not. It’s a crepe. Are the two first cousins? Sure.
They both date back to Medieval Europe, and still get special recognition in some cultures on Pancake Day, the Tuesday before Lent in Catholic tradition. Pancakes and crepes were once made especially on that day to use up eggs and fat, which were then forbidden by the church during Lent, the 40 days before Easter, according to the BBC.
But while pancakes are thick and fairly easy to make – throw a dollop of batter on a hot griddle, flip and serve – crepes take a little more finesse.
Crepes, whose origins have traditionally been credited to France, require a small amount of batter to be maneuvered around into a thin layer in a small frying pan or crepe pan. When the crepe has cooked enough on one side – careful! the thin batter cooks quickly – a gentle hand must flip it to finish cooking. The whole process is fast and delicate, but has a very tasty result in the end.
The term “crepe” comes from the Latin, “crispus,” which means curly or wavy. Crepes will generally have a slightly uneven appearance, unlike the smooth, even surfaces of pancakes, according to the food reference Web site www.foodtimeline.com.
Depending on what restaurant or country in which you find yourself eating crepes, you may find them made in a sweet or savory style, rolled and stuffed with filling, folded into triangles with a topping or simply served flat.
In the South Valley, crepes can be difficult to find on a menu. The chef at Ragoots in Morgan Hill has occasionally added a savory crepe special to the menu, and one of the cook-off contestants at last year’s Gilroy Garlic Festival used crepes as an ingredient for her entry.
The Cedar House in Hollister offers blintzes, which are similar. But for those who need a regular crepe fix, head to Scrambl’z Diner in Morgan Hill, where they serve crepes alone, with berries and yogurt and as part of Pigs in a Blanket, to name a few dishes.
“I think most people know what crepes are, but we do have a lot of people ask what the difference is between a crepe and a pancake,” said Joleen Coons, a manger at Scrambl’z. “It’s just a different style batter and a much thinner type of pancake. They’re delicious.”
Cornmeal Crepe Custards
with Sweet Heat Shrimp Salsa
2006 Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook Off Contestant
by Roxanne Chan
n Crepes
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1-1/3 cups milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh garlic
Butter for coating pan
n Custards
1 large head fresh garlic, separated into cloves
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
3 eggs
1 green onion, minced
n Sweet Heat Shrimp Salsa
1/4 pound medium-sized shrimp, cooked and pealed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 small avocado, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon snipped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup diced mango
1/4 teaspoon salt
Lime zest garnish
Step 1: Place all the ingredients for the crepes in a blender, except for the butter reserved for coating the pan. Blend until smooth. Let stand while preparing custard.
Step 2: In a pot, cover the garlic cloves with boiling water and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and place in a medium bowl with the rest of the custard ingredients. Whisk until well blended.
Step 3: Rub an 8-inch non-stick skillet with butter over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup batter to the pan, tilting to coat the pan bottom. Cook to set, about 1 minute. Turn and cook about 1 minute more. Transfer the crepe to a plate and repeat with rest of batter. Gently fit 6 crepes into buttered 4- or 5-inch round oven-proof dishes or molds.
Step 4: Divide the custard among the crepe cups. Place the dishes in a large shallow pan and bake at 375 degrees 15-20 minutes or until the custard is set.
Step 5: Combine the ingredients for the salsa in a medium bowl. Remove the custard crepe cups from the dishes and set on a serving platter. Surround with the salsa. Garnish the cups with lime zest.
Basic Crepe Recipe
www.foodnetwork.com
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan
Step 1: In a blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse for 10 seconds. Place the crepe batter in the refrigerator for 1 hour. This allows the bubbles to subside so the crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter will keep for up to 48 hours.
Step 2: Heat a small non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread evenly. Cook for 30 seconds and flip. Cook for another 10 seconds and remove to the cutting board.
Lay them out flat so they can cool. Continue until all batter is gone. After they have cooled you can stack them and store in sealable plastic bags in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for up to two months. When using frozen crepes, thaw on a rack before gently peeling apart.
Savory Variation: Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, spinach or sun-dried tomatoes to the egg mixture.
Sweet Variation: Add 21/2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of your favorite liqueur to the egg mixture.
Crepes Suzette
www.bettycrocker.com
1 cup Original Bisquick® mix
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange-flavored liqueur
Step 1: Beat Bisquick mix, milk and eggs in small bowl with fork or wire whisk until blended. Lightly butter 8-inch skillet; heat over medium heat until bubbly.
For each crepe, pour 2 tablespoons batter into skillet and immediately rotate skillet until batter covers bottom.
Cook until golden brown. Run wide spatula around edge to loosen; turn and cook other side until golden brown. Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each; keep covered.
Step 2: Heat 1/4 cup butter, the orange peel, orange juice and sugar to boiling in 10-inch skillet, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat liqueur in 1-quart saucepan, but do not boil.
Step 3: Fold crepes into fourths; place in hot orange sauce in skillet and turn once. Arrange crepes around edge of skillet. Pour warm liqueur into center of skillet and carefully ignite. After flame dies, place 2 crepes on each dessert plate; spoon warm sauce onto crepes.
Mushroom Crepes
www.foodnetwork.com
2 tablespoons olive or corn oil
1/2 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño, minced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 crepes (recipe follows)
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups Mexican crema or 2 cups sour cream thinned out with 1/2 cup milk
Truffle oil, for garnish
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make crepes separately. In a hot saute pan, add the oil. Cook the onion, garlic, and jalapeño for 3 minutes, or until the onions have become translucent. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, cook for another 3 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Step 2: Arrange the crepes and other ingredients in assembly-line fashion: crepes, filling, cheese, and crema. Spread 1 tablespoon of sour cream on an open crepe, sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the filling, cover with a sprinkle of cheese, and roll the crepe into a tube. Repeat process with the remaining ingredients.
Step 3: Spread a thin layer of sour cream on the bottom of an oblong 8 by 12-inch glass baking dish. Place the rolled crepes, seam side down, close, but not over lapping, in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and crema.
Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and crepes are heated through, about 30 minutes. Drizzle with a little truffle oil.
Crepes with Pesto/
Testaroli al Pesto
www.foodnetwork.com
1/2 cup superfine flour
Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan
1 big bunch fresh basil leaves, picked from the stems
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, approximately, plus more for the pan
Salt
Step 1: To make the crepes: Using a fork, stir enough water, about 1/3 cup, into the flour to form a thick paste. Continue mixing with the fork until all clumps have disappeared and the blend is homogenous. Mix in salt to taste.
Heat a 6-inch, non-stick omelet pan over high heat. Grease lightly with a little extra-virgin olive oil, and add a small ladlefull (2 tablespoons) of the crepe batter to the hot pan. Immediately swirl the pan to coat bottom with batter, and cook until crepe loosens from side of skillet and underside is pale golden, about 3 minutes.
Remove the crepe from the pan and leave on a plate, covered with waxed paper. Repeat with the remaining batter, re-greasing the pan when needed, until all the batter has been used, adding each new crepe to the pile beneath the paper towel. Set the crepes aside to cool.
Step 2: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, pine nuts, garlic, and 2 teaspoons Pecorino. Pulse gently, just until roughly chopped. Pour in the olive oil bit by bit as you continue to pulse the basil and cheese mixture.
When enough oil is in the bowl to make the ingredients pulse smoothly, pulse continually until all the oil has been added and the mixture is smooth and homogenous. Season, to taste, with salt. Transfer to a large bowl.
Step 3: Bring 6 quarts water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. When the crepes are completely cool, use a sharp knife to slice each crepe into thin fettucine-like strips, about 1/2-inch each. Drop the crepe into the boiling water just like you would dried pasta. Remove after 45 seconds. Drain well.
Step 4: Divide the “pasta” equally among 4 serving bowls. Top with pesto as desired and the remaining Pecorino. Serve immediately.
Chocolaty Strawberry
Finger Crepes
www.aaa-recipes.com
1-1/4 cups milk
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup Nutella
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Whipped cream (optional)
Sliced strawberries (optional)
Step 1: For the batter, puree milk, eggs and 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves in food processor until smooth. Add flour and melted butter. Pulse slightly until completely blended. Do not over-mix. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Step 2: Spray crepe pan (or 9-inch nonstick frying pan) with nonstick cooking spray and warm over medium heat. When pan is hot, pour 1/4 cup batter in pan, maneuvering to spread batter to cover bottom.
Once mixture sets on top, carefully flip crepe to cook other side. Flip cooked crepes onto plate lined with parchment or wax paper. Repeat until batter is gone, separating each crepe with paper.
Step 3: Spread each crepe with 1 tablespoon Nutella hazelnut spread and 1/2 tablespoon strawberry preserves. Roll up tightly and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with whipped cream and fresh, sliced strawberries, if desired.
