Need an excuse to eat crêpes today? Well here you go – it’s La Chandeleur in France!
What is La Chandeleur?
You might have thought the French eat crêpes on Mardi Gras, (Shrove Tuesday, what we call Pancake Tuesday) the day before Ash Wednesday, which signals the start of Lent. In fact, in France, crêpes are eaten on La Chandeleur, or Candlemas, which is celebrated by Catholics on February 2, 40 days after Christmas. It’s also known as la fête de la lumière or the Festival of Light (“chandeleur” comes from the word “chandelle,” which means candle) and it also marks the day Mary was allowed back into the temple after giving birth to Jesus.
Nowadays, it’s celebrated in France by eating crêpes! Tradition says that if you hold a coin in the hand you write with while you flip the crêpe in the pan with the other and you manage to catch the crêpe, your family will enjoy a prosperous year!
Typically, to celebrate this day, in the past few years, my Grade 4s made a few batches of the crêpes from In the French kitchen with kids and you can bet it is always everyone’s favorite lesson of the week! Sadly, though this year we aren’t able to cook together but that shouldn’t stop you! Not only it is a great day to eat crêpes but it’s also a great day to get your kids in the kitchen!
Need some inspiration? Check out this video that was actually part of the Grade 4 curriculum a few years ago!
Today, though, I ‘m sharing a recipe for Crêpes Suzette – sounds fancy, is super easy to make!
What are Crêpes Suzette?
Basically it’s your standard thin crêpes serves with a sauce made with sugar, butter, orange juice and some kind of orange liqueur, traditionally flambéed at the table – it’s dramatic AND delicious!
Why is the dish called Crêpes Suzette?
There are a number of conflicting stories regarding the origin of this dish. Perhaps the most famous claim is that it was originally made from a mistake by fourteen-year-old assistant waiter Henri Charpentier in 1895 at Monte Carlo’s Café de Paris when the chafing dish caught fire, creating, nonetheless, a delicious medley of flavours enjoyed despite this, by the Prince of Wales who was dining there and one of his guests, a certain “Suzette”.
Charpentier, in 1950 was interviewed by Elise Lee where he explained that “his complicated version began as the dish of pancakes with fruit sauce his foster mother made on very special occasions, and the adding of liqueurs something most chefs did in Paris.”
However it was invented, it’s easier to make that you might think. Easy enough to whip up for brunch on a Sunday, don’t just save it for special occasions.
Crêpes Suzette
Crêpes Suzette - sounds fancy but easy enough for everyday!
Ingredients
For the crêpes:
- 2/3 cup (100g) all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups (310mls) whole milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons (28g, 1/4 stick) unsalted butter melted then cooled
- Vegetable oil to grease the pan for the first crêpe
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (from 1 large orange)
- 2/3 cup (160ml) fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Instructions
Make the crêpes
- Place the flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Once all the milk is mixed in, add the lightly beaten egg and whisk until there are no more lumps.
- Add in the melted, cooled butter.
- You can use this straight away or place it in the fridge until ready to use. If you place it in the fridge, you’ll need to give it a good whisk before you use it.
- When you are ready to make the crêpes, lightly oil a 25cm/ 9-inch (preferably non-stick) frying pan (pour a little oil on a paper towel and coat the entire pan with this oil) and place it on high heat.
- You can tell that the pan is ready if you put a drop of the batter in (literally, a drop will do!) and it starts to sizzle and cook.
- Use a 1/4 cup measure for the batter – grab the frying pan with one hand and lift it off the heat while you pour the batter into the centre of the pan.
- Quickly swirl the pan around in a circular motion to distribute the batter evenly in the pan.
- Place the pan back on the heat and cook the crêpe for about 2 minutes. The top will bubble and the bottom will be golden brown and lacy looking.
- Flip the crêpe using a plastic spatula and cook a further 2 minutes.
- Place the cooked crêpe on a warm plate and cover with parchment paper while you cook the rest of the batter. The parchment paper will help them not stick together.
- You can use the crêpes now or refrigerate them. If you refrigerate them, bring them to room temperature for about 10 minutes before you use them (while you are making the sauce).
Make the sauce:
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat in a heavy skillet at least 10-inches in diameter.
- Once the butter is melted, add the sugar and stir to combine. Cook, stirring continually over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and you have a caramel-y consistency.
- Add the orange juice and zest and stir quickly to combine. The caramel may seize but just keep stirring and it will eventually melt back into the liquid.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until the liquid reduces by about a third.
- Add the Grand Marnier, stirring quickly as you do, and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes (to cook off the alcohol).
Assemble the crêpes:
- Take the skillet off the heat.
- One by one, gently place the crêpes in the skillet, covering completely with the sauce. Fold each crêpe in quarters and either move it to the size of the skillet if you are serving family style, or place directly on serving places.
- Top with some strips of orange zest and, if you like, ice cream or whipped cream to serve (honestly, it doesn’t need anything!)
Notes
In this version, I've chosen to NOT flambé the alcohol as I wanted this recipe to be accessible for everyone. If you are cooking with kids, you can leave the alcohol step out, no problem. And if you want to flambé, add the Grand Marnier to the pan (Step 5 under Make the sauce) and use a long handled match to light the liquid on fire carefully. When the flames subside, go ahead and add the crêpes to the sauce (Step 2 under Assemble the crêpes).
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To flambé or not?
In this version, I’ve chosen to NOT flambé the alcohol as I wanted this recipe to be accessible for everyone. If you are cooking with kids, you can leave the alcohol step out, no problem. And if you want to flambé, add the Grand Marnier to the pan and use a long handled match to light the liquid on fire carefully. When the flames subside, go ahead and add the crêpes to the sauce.
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They look delish …. and a very interesting post, Mardi. But, who was Suzette? Is it a person’s name?
Yes it says in the post named for a guest at the dinner… supposedly!