Crêpes
I prefer thin French pancakes to the more doughy American kind, so I often make a batch of crêpe batter for a Sunday breakfast and have plenty left over to whip up a rolled savory crêpe filled with some leftover that needs dressing up, or a sweet version enrobing some fruit or berries. For breakfast, I slather a warm crêpe with yogurt—preferably Greek-style, because it’s less runny—put another crêpe on top and more yogurt, and leave the final layer bare to catch the warm maple syrup I pour over it. A few berries scattered around complete the picture I remember how James Beard would teach the making and baking of crêpes and pancakes in his opening class for beginners. He liked the students to observe what happened when the batter—some with baking powder, as in American pancakes; some not, as in French crêpes—hit the hot surface of the pan and baked: one rising perceptibly, the other hardly at all but acquiring a crisper tan. And he would prowl around among the students, encouraging them to use their fingers to turn the crêpe and get the feel of the texture. The “nervous Nellies,” as Julia Child always called them, held back, but the intrepid relished the quick finger-flip, and you could tell that they were the ones who were really going to enjoy cooking.
Ingredients
For the Batter
Preparation
Put all the ingredients for the batter into a blender, and blend for at least 1 minute or use a food processor or beat by hand. Let rest in the fridge several hours before using, or refrigerate overnight. Heat a 6 or 8-inch skillet, depending on what size pancakes you want, preferably nonstick, and brush a little butter or oil over the bottom. When the pan is hot but not smoking, pour just enough batter into it to cover the bottom, tipping the pan and swirling the batter around to distribute it evenly in a thin layer. Cook over medium-high heat until bubbles appear on the surface and the bottom is lightly browned, then flip the crêpe over onto the other side. You can do this by jerking the pan, but it takes practice, so don’t hesitate to use a spatula—or your fingers. When the bottom side is lightly browned, remove the crêpe to a warm plate, and continue to make as many more as you wish, stacking them as they are done.
