Crepes--Cook-Off 23

[Plantes Vertes]

I did end up making the ratatouille and the caramelised apples:

 

Served the vegetables with some pesto

 

And the apples with cream

 

 

[FrogPrincesse]

Beautiful. I can just envision a version of the caramelized apple crepes flambéed with calvados...

[Plantes Vertes]

You might have mentioned this before I made them

 

There's always next year.

[FrogPrincesse]

Sorry... It came to me as I was daydreaming while looking at your photos.

I may give it a try tonight; I have a few crepes left from last night.

 

Speaking of last night, I made a double batch of crepes de froment (wheat flour) (6 eggs, 250 g flour, 600 mL milk, 60 g butter, teaspoon salt, half teaspoon orange flower water; yield 16 crepes).

They were consumed with crystallized sugar, Nutella, and a homemade chocolate sauce.

 

 

 

 

 

A correction:

 Only a half batch* (about 8 crepes) and they were gone in a few seconds. I only got to eat one.

 

*I was actually a full batch. Eight crepes is never enough, so I would always recommend doubling Anne Willan's recipe.

[FrogPrincesse]

This idea of caramelized apple crêpes with calvados was stuck in my head, so I made a caramel last night.

 

 

I cooked a couple of Granny Smith apples in the caramel (this is similar to making a tarte tatin).

 

 

I reheated the crepe in a pan, moistened with a tablespoon of calvados, and added the apples and caramel

 

 

Voila

 

 

What was missing was a little dollop of crème fraiche (Isigny of course) and a glass of Norman cider, but still it was delightful.

Thanks PV for the inspiration!

[huiray]

The only crepes I am nostalgic for are Crêpes Suzette.  Everything else is nice, but not something I hanker for. Unfortunately here in the USA this dish is a rare one and seems to be increasingly so. I still remember an occasion in Golder's Green, London, when I was living there many many years ago, in a restaurant known for its Crêpes Suzette when the waiter/server might have used too much brandy and the resultant flambè was a little, um, VIGOROUS.  Fortunately, no one was hurt and the ceiling escaped relatively unscathed.

[FrogPrincesse]

Chandeleur, 2016 edition. I went traditional with egg + ham + cheese. That combo always delivers. Brittany dry cider.

Followed by a granulated sugar crêpe for dessert.

 

 

 

[pufin3]

Here's a Vietnamese crepe recipe:

BANH XEO

Serves 6

This is delicious lettuce wrapped crepe.

I suggest you serve them as main course because there are a number of components.

Ingredients for making the crepes:

12 oz bag of rice flour

1 t turmeric

14 oz coconut cream

3 C room temperature water

 Ingredients/method for the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup of Red Boat fish sauce

2 T white table vinegar

1 1/2 C water

1/2 C white sugar

1/3 C shredded carrot

1 t crushed garlic

Combine and whisk to dissolve the sugar

Set aside as a condiment

Vegetable/meat Ingredients:

Large whole lettuce leaves washed and patted dry. Any type of lettuce  will do.

Mint leaves washed and patted dry.

Cucumber strips the same length as the lettuce leaves.

Remove the seeds using a spoon.

3 T chopped garlics.

2 fine chopped spring onions

Some fresh washed patted dry cilantro leaves.

1/2 lb. approx. of pork tenderloin. To prepare the pork put it in the freezer until it’s close to being frozen.

Using a razor sharp knife (I use a box cutter) slice medallions as thin as you can.

15-20 large raw shrimp deveined and shelled and sliced lengthways in half.

1 C thin sliced sweet onion

1 C of washed and patted dry bean sprouts.

 Make the crepe batter:

Combine the rice flour, turmeric, water, coconut cream and chopped spring onions. Whisk to remove any lumps. Set aside.

To cook the crepes:

Add a T of vegetable oil to a medium hot flat bottomed non-stick 12” fry pan.

Add enough sweet onions to sparsely cover the bottom of the pan. When they have cooked for a couple of minutes add a sprinkle of the chopped garlic. Add about five pork medallions and about five large shrimp. You want to have the ingredients nicely distributed over the pan. Don’t overcook the shrimp and pork.

Sprinkle on a pinch of S&P.

Now ladle enough batter to just cover the shrimps.

Keep the heat at medium-low. Cover with a lid for a couple of minutes to cook the crepe.

Sprinkle some fresh bean sprouts on half the crepe.

Now carefully turn the half of the crepe without the bean sprouts over onto the other half. You have a half moon shaped crepe.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To eat:

Take a large lettuce leaf. Lay on it a slice of the crepe, half the width of the lettuce leaf and about the same length as the lettuce leaf.

On top of the crepe lay on a couple of thin strips of the cucumber.

Then a few cilantro and mint leaves.

Fold the lettuce leaf up to hold the ingredients within and dip it into the dipping sauce.

This is messy eating at it’s best. Provide your guests with warm damp hand towels.

I always make a separate dipping sauce per couple/person so ‘double-dipping’ isn’t a bother.

Edited February 3, 2016 by pufin3 (log)

[FrogPrincesse]

I made another batch of crepes last night (a double this time)... I went through 6 eggs for the batter alone!

Honey and lemon crepe for dessert (with just a little squeeze of lemon juice). Very nice combo.