Crepes--Cook-Off 23

[snowangel]

btw McGee also says that minimal whisking is key to achieve a delicate tender crepe. Minimal stirring = less gluten development.

So, maybe we can conclude, that the more you whisk, the longer the batter should rest to relax the gluten again?

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Yeah I do remember reading that the batter has to rest to allow the gluten to relax...wouldn't it be better to use cake and pastry flour to make crepes then? Less gluten. Or even cake and pastry flour plus a little bit of cornstarch...that would lower the gluten content even more.

(I usually use whatever flour I have on hand, and let the batter relax overnight in the fridge.)

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Julia recommends letting all batter rest -- with AP at least 2 hours, with softer flours (she actually recommends using Wondra in one of her books) for 1/2 hour or so.

[Susan in FL]

Last night I made "Austrian Crepes" by this recipe. Epicurious almost always comes through for me, when I'm searching for a recipe to guide or inspire me. This one appealed to me. Unless I missed it, I hadn't heard anyone mention using club soda or seltzer. I don't know why, but it made sense to me. I followed it exactly, including the helpful technique, and was thrilled with the results -- even the first one (!):

And now the rest of the story:

My filling last night was tropical fruit -- pineapple, mango, and kiwi -- in a lime syrup with crystallized ginger. I meant to sprinkle it with powdered sugar, but I was so eager to eat it, I forgot. I did remember the pine nuts.

[Chufi]

they look wonderful Susan! Interesting that they are cooked one side only, I wonder why?

[Susan in FL]

they look wonderful Susan! Interesting that they are cooked one side only, I wonder why?

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I wondered the same thing when I first read the directions, but once I got on with it, I said to myself DUH. They were done on both sides, and to served them I roll them or fold them so the "uncooked side" is on the inside anyway..... Why flip them and risk what I was likely to do to them?

[Susan in FL]

Here was this morning's crepe for breakfast. I've always loved orange and dark chocolate, and now I'm loving banana and dark chocolate (I made a version of tupac's banana split panini), so inside of this crepe I put banana and pieces of a dark chocolate and orange peel candy bar.

[Pontormo]

Last night I made "Austrian Crepes" by this recipe.  Epicurious almost always comes through for me, when I'm searching for a recipe to guide or inspire me.  This one appealed to me.  Unless I missed it, I hadn't heard anyone mention using club soda or seltzer.

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Actually, Susan, I was planning on asking about this since I could swear I found a recipe in one of my cookbooks...though when I doubled back, I only came across one for apple fritters which must be based on the same principles. Beer has already been mentioned in this thread; Alice Waters calls for flattened beer in her buckwheat crepes.

I should acknowledge the beauty of your crepes, too.

[slkinsey]

Interesting about using beer or seltzer. Interesting because you don't normally want bubbles in crêpes, as it leaves little holes behind.

[Shaya]

they look wonderful Susan! Interesting that they are cooked one side only, I wonder why?

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I wondered the same thing when I first read the directions, but once I got on with it, I said to myself DUH. They were done on both sides, and to served them I roll them or fold them so the "uncooked side" is on the inside anyway..... Why flip them and risk what I was likely to do to them?

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It seems to be the same theory as cooking omelets French style - only on one side, and serving the cooked side on the outside.

By the way, Susan, dark chocolate for breakfast? That crepe is too decadent for words!

Edited June 21, 2006 by Shaya (log)

[snowangel]

Susan, how did you store the leftover crepes?

[Pontormo]

Interesting about using beer or seltzer.  Interesting because you don't normally want bubbles in crêpes, as it leaves little holes behind.

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Especially if the batter sits or the beer is flattened, I don't think there would be too many tiny little bubbles. I like the effect of the ones in your batter as documented in your post here.

I was curious about the science involved, myself, and online sources seem merely to repeat what bloggers have been told in the past: carbonated water "lightens" batter, whether for tempura, stuffed zucchini blossoms, or various types of pancakes/crepes.

[gus_tatory]

just curious here, not splitting hairs:

if the crepe is made with buckwheat flour, isn't it officially a galette?

or does that only hold for waffles?! i remember hearing something about how people from Northern France are particular about what is a crepe and what is a galette...

[Susan in FL]

Susan, how did you store the leftover crepes?

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The plate full you can see in the photo... I covered that with plastic wrap, to refrigerate. (I didn't pile them on to that plate until they were completely cool.) This morning I was eager to see if any stuck. None stuck.

[Pontormo]

just curious here, not splitting hairs:

if the crepe is made with buckwheat flour, isn't it officially a galette?

or does that only hold for waffles?! i remember hearing something about how people from Northern France are particular about what is a crepe and what is a galette... 

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Une crepe by any other name...

For me, a galette is a free-form pie made with a thick pastry dough, rolled out roughly, filled with things savory or sweet and then folded over at the edges so filling is enveloped securely, but still, mostly visible.

In Italy, too, certain culinary terms have different meanings depending on one's location. Seems that in terms of the galettes de Sarrasin, specificity is key to distinguish flours and courses.

Edited June 21, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[slkinsey]

I was curious about the science involved, myself, and online sources seem merely to repeat what bloggers have been told in the past: carbonated water "lightens" batter, whether for tempura, stuffed zucchini blossoms, or various types of pancakes/crepes.

Well, that (the "lightening" bit) makes sense to me. You're introducing bubbles to the batter, and these bubbles expand as the batter is cooked to provide extra leavening. Unlike, say, using whipped egg whites, the use of carbonated liquid doesn't contribute any extra structure to the finished product (therefore, even "lighter" is possible).

What puzzles me WRT using carbonated liquid for crêpes is that one generally doesn't want them to puff up like that. That, to me, is one of the crucial differences bewteen a crêpe and a thin pancake (the latter is leavened, the former is not).

[gfron1]

I'm gonna toss in my friend's creation. Marcia Smith spent some time working with Martha Stewart and now runs a gallery in our small town. She is a fantastic cook. My store pulled together 3 couples and created a reality TV cooking show that was a play on Iron Chef with a bit more drama. Marcia's assignment was a dessert that incorporated pinhead oats and lychee. What she came up with was this (This is the best pic I could pull from the DVD):

Pan Asian Crepes with Roasted Mango & Banana

It was the absolute best dessert I have ever had!

I moved the recipe to recipe gullet HERE

Edited June 21, 2006 by gfron1 (log)

[snowangel]

Reminder to all -- if your recipes are not copyrighted, please, oh, please, put them in RecipeGullet. It makes finding them so much easier a year from now...

[Chufi]

just curious here, not splitting hairs:

if the crepe is made with buckwheat flour, isn't it officially a galette?

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I'll just call it a boekweit pannenkoek...

The Dutch pancakes, pannenkoeken, that I mentioned upthread, were originally made with at least a percentage of buckwheat flour (as were the tiny pancakes, poffertjes).

Edited June 21, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[purplewiz]

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That is truly a thing of beauty. My mouth is watering!

Marcia.

[snowangel]

Well, let's hope tomorrow's making of the crepes is easier than the making of the batter. The POS blender I have that I have been looking for an exuce to toss exploded on me. Good thing I had taken my contacts out and put my glasses on. Well, at least my counter, cupboards and floor are freshly cleaned! Ably assisted by a martini and lots of swearing.

BTW, the immersioon blender worked quite well, and I have savory and sweet crepe batters resting in the fridge.

Wish me and the neighborhood boys luck tomorrow as we have part two of the crepe adventure.

[Susan in FL]

Susan, good luck, indeed! -Susan

[tupac17616]

Here was this morning's crepe for breakfast.  I've always loved orange and dark chocolate, and now I'm loving banana and dark chocolate (I made a version of tupac's banana split panini), so inside of this crepe I put banana and pieces of a dark chocolate and orange peel candy bar.

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Looks delicious, Susan! How did the banana split panini turn out for ya?

[MelissaH]

Any suggestions for mixing crêpe batter without a blender? Or should I either beg a blender from a friend with a kitchen, or just wait until I have my own kitchen again?

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A whisk with a little elbow grease. I add the liquid slowly, making sure I get rid of all the lumps - then let rest.

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This morning a customer told me that she uses an immersion (stick) blender for her batter. I had one of those 'why didn't I think of that?' moments!

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BTW, the immersioon blender worked quite well, and I have savory and sweet crepe batters resting in the fridge.

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Hey, I actually know exactly where my immersion blender is...and I can get at it too!

MelissaH

[Susan in FL]

.....How did the banana split panini turn out for ya?

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Deeeeeeelicious! I will probably become hooked on them. I would be eating more of them already if it were not for these damn (damn good) crepes which I keep pigging out on. You all are turning me into a dessert person. It's all your fault.

I'm going to try something savory with a crepe tonight, I think.

[tupac17616]

You all are turning me into a dessert person.  It's all your fault.

Don't worry, Susan. Even with dessert, you can still eat the cheese course first.

[snowangel]

So, my crepes still aren't crepes, and the batter is still in the fridge (I chose to play today with the kids -- we made an awesome fort, and got two soccer balls stuck in a tree). Will it h old until tomorrow, or should I get at it in a few minutes?