Crepes

Source:Jody Rutherfurd
Time:60 minutes
Yield:8 to 12 crepes
  • 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, sifted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk mixed with 1/3 cup water
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • A pinch of salt
  • vegetable oil or nonstick vegetable oil spray, for pan

You will also need a good solid 7-inch crepe pan or skillet, some paper towels, parchment paper, a flexible metal spatula or palette knife, and a ladle.

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with the sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing. Now make a well in the center of the flour and break the eggs into it. The, begin whisking the eggs - any sort of whisk or even a fork will do - incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.

Next, gradually add small quantities of the milk-and-water mixture, still whisking. The lumps should disappear as you whisk, but if they don't just pour the mixture through a seive once your done mixing it. When all of the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape down any elusive bits of the flour from around the edge into the center, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of light cream. Now melt the butter in the pan. Spoons 2 tablespoons of it into the batter and whisk it in, then put the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wedge of paper towel to smear it around before you make each crepe. I found with a non-stick pan that you only have to do it every four crepes or so.

Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test crepe to see if you are using the correct amount of batter. Often the first crepe gets ditched. I find two tablespoons about right for a 7-inch pan. It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the bottom evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a spatula to see if it's tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a spatula - the other side will need only a few seconds - then simply slide it out of the pan onto a platter.

Stack the crepes as you make them between sheets of parchment paper on a plate. If you don't have parchment paper, just stack the crepes on top of each other.