With Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday as the English speakers among us call it) just around the corner on February 17th, we thought a post about crêpes (pancakes) was in order. After all, what else are you going to eat on pancake day?
According to historians, people have been making pancakes for around 9,000 years, although we’re guessing that Neolithic cooks didn’t flip theirs! Pancakes and crêpes as we know them today are a way of using up all the rich and fatty foods we have in our kitchens (e.g. eggs, milk, and butter), prior to the start of Lent, which begins the following day on Ash Wednesday.
There are many ways to eat crêpes, be they sweet (mmmm… Nutella and banana!) or savory (sharp cheese and green onions is pretty amazing).
If you don’t have access to a crêperie in your neighborhood, fret not, for they are simplicity itself to make.
For 8 pancakes:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup water
¼ tsp salt
2 T melted butter
- Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl, make a well in the center, and break in the egg.
- Beat with a whisk, and gradually mix the milk until you have a runny batter, the consistency of light cream.
- Whisk in the melted butter, and leave to stand for 30 minutes to allow the flour to become fully incorporated.
- Heat a little oil to a skillet, and when it begins to smoke slightly, whisk the batter again, and add about 3 tablespoons to the pan, tilting it so the base is covered.
- Cook for a couple of minutes, until the underside is golden brown, flip over, and cook the other side.
- Serve with toppings and fillings of your choice (see here for traditional French crêpes).
Bon appetite!