Three Steps to Making Perfect Crepes

Finding a crepe pan and seasoning it, is the first step to making perfect crepes. Give yourself a designated crepe pan. Only use it for crepes; store it where it will NEVER be used for anything other than crepes. You will want a pan that is 5 to 6 inches at the base, with shallow sides. Once you have your pan you will want to season it. Only once do you need to do this and your pan will reward you time and again.

Thoroughly wash and scrub your pan with a steel wool pad. Next fill the pan to the brim with cooking oil. Heat until the oil is just hot, not bubbling hot. Let it sit out for the night until morning. In the morning tip out the oil and your pan is ready.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• Makes 12 Crepes
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 egg
• 1 Tb. melted butter

Making a good crepe batter is actually very easy. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl; add salt, egg yolk, whole egg and 1/2 the milk, stir until smooth.

Add the rest of the milk, and melted butter, stir.

Prepare by hand, with a wire whisk, blending. Allow the batter to rest for 1 hour, so that the milk and flour are well blended in flavor.

The batter can be refrigerated for a full day but if left until the next day it will need to be thinned with 2 Tb. of milk. Try making crepes with beer instead of milk, they have a nice taste as well.

You are now ready to cook a crepe. Prepare your well seasoned pan by pouring just a 1 Tb. of oil in the pan and heating it up. Once it is hot tip it out. There will be a residue of oil left in the pan. The first crepe will absorb the oil. This crepe you will through out. Select a spoon that will hold enough batter to fill the base of the pan. Put a spoonful of batter in the pan and roll it around quickly until the base is completely covered. Tip out any excess batter. As soon as the batter appears flat and the edges are browning, use a spatula to flip the crepe to the other side. This second side will cook quickly.

The outside of the crepe is the side that cooks first. As you make each crepe pile them outside down on a clean tea towel. As you fill them the stack will all be facing the same direction.

By: Karen Malzeke-McDonald