Classic European Crêpes

The classic recipe

Products for about 24 crêpes: 250 g sifted flour, 1/2 L fresh milk (half of it may be water), 3 large or 4 small eggs, 2 pinches of salt, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar and 1 sachet of vanilla (if the crêpes are for dessert), 1 tablespoon oil and 20 g melted butter.

Put the flour in a deep, round-bottomed bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the eggs, beaten as for an omelette (or add them one at a time). Slowly add half of the milk, stirring so that the flour from the walls of the "well" is gradually drawn in. Once all the liquid is absorbed, beat for another two or three minutes until the mixture is completely smooth. Add the salt, oil, melted butter and, optionally, the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Then gradually pour in the second half of the liquid. Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature for about an hour before you start frying the crêpes.

Some culinary fine points

The crêpe batter is stirred with a wooden spoon. A mixer can also be used. For dessert crêpes the finest flour is used, while for savory crêpes a darker flour is taken. The eggs are usually beaten as for an omelette, but if we want very fine crêpes it is recommended to beat the egg white to stiff peaks and gently fold it into the mixture at the last moment. The choice of liquid is important. With only water the crêpes turn out lighter, but not as tasty. With equal parts water and milk they are denser, and with only milk they are more nourishing but even denser. With beer the savory crêpes puff up more. The average amount of salt is one coffee spoon per 250 g of flour. A little melted butter and a little oil are added so they don't stick to the pan. Dessert crêpes can be flavoured with vanilla, lemon or orange liqueur, rum and even a little cinnamon. The savory crêpes — with a little black pepper, grated nutmeg or other aromatic spices as desired.

To fry them faster, two pans are usually used. The bottom is greased with a piece of lard, a little oil or melted butter before each crêpe. With more experience and skill the fried crêpe can be flipped with one movement of the pan. If you don't dare, help yourself with a wide-bladed knife, and with the special non-stick pans — with a wooden spatula. The fried crêpes are stacked one on top of another, wrapped in aluminium foil and kept in a low oven or at the edge of the stove. If they are for dessert, sprinkle a little powdered sugar between them so they don't stick.

The crêpes can be kept in the refrigerator for several days and garnished as desired when serving.

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Crêpes (Delimano variant) — Prep 10 min · Cook 30 min · Total 40 min · Makes 17

Ingredients: 4 eggs, 1 L fresh milk, about 3 cups flour (to the consistency of boza), a pinch of salt, 2–3 tablespoons oil.

1. In a deep bowl break the eggs. Beat them with the salt. Add the milk while stirring. Gradually add the flour. Stir until you get a homogeneous mixture. Add 1–2 tablespoons of oil.
2. Heat the pan. With a non-stick pan you can skip the fat. Pour in about one ladle of the mixture and spread it over the whole base of the pan.
3. Let it fry until the edges of the crêpe lift slightly. Flip it with the help of a wooden spatula. Once the tips turn golden and rise, the crêpe is ready.
4. Garnish as desired.