Crepes Suzette or Thin Pancakes – surprisingly easy to make
Crepes Suzette or as they are called Thin French Pancakes are not as challenging as they might seem. They worked the first time I tried them, so I am sure you will succeed as well! There is also very interesting history behind this dish if you would like to take a look.
A tip
For the crepes recipe you can either use milk or skip it. There will not be much difference in flavour. Also, for a healthier option add some wholemeal flour. However, make sure not to add too much as the pancakes will be thicker and less delicate. For super smooth and tender crepes use only plain flour.
To make the 5-element crepes
In a large mixing bowl or a jug add the following:
- Sweet 1 egg whole, 1 cup milk (optional), 1 tablespoon of mild tasting oil, mix the ingredients,
- Pungent a pinch of ginger,
- Salty a pinch of salt, 1 cup cold water (if you don’t want to use milk, add 2 cups of water)
- Sour 1 cup of plain flour, 3-4 tablespoons of wholemeal wheat flour,
- Bitter a pinch of turmeric.
Mix all the ingredients well. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter. It should be quite runny to make the crepes thin.
To make the 5-element orange sauce
Use a large frying pan, warm it up on medium heat and add the following:
- Sweet 3 tablespoons of sugar, a knob of butter,
- Pungent a pinch of chilli,
- Salty a pinch of salt,
- Sour 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice,
Stir the ingredients and let them simmer for about 1-2 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly and add:
- Bitter a pinch of turmeric, zest of 1 orange,
- Sweet 2/3 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice (that will be the juice of 1-2 oranges, depending how juicy they are).
Mix the ingredients and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Frying Crepes Suzette
Put one crepe onto the frying pan, let it get covered with the sauce, turn it over and fold in a half and then again to make a quarter. Slide it to the side of the frying pan and do the same with the other three crepes. This step is optional but if you would like to: once all crepes are assembled in the frying pan pour over 3-4 tablespoons of brandy and flame them – detailed instructions how to do it. It didn’t work with me but the flavour was just amazing…
To serve
Serve immediately. They are perfect on their own or with 5-element whipped cream from this recipe. They go very well with dalgona coffee or orange and ginger tea.
For other crepes recipes see crepes with apple-walnut filling, crepes birthday cake.
