Plain Crêpes – A Good Basic Recipe

You will also need:

1. 2 bowls.
2. A mixer.
3. A crêpe pan or a flat-bottomed skillet with sloping sides: the crêpes in the photo are made in a 9-inch crêpe pan.
4. A saucer and a paper towel.
5. A measuring cup with a handle is useful for pouring batter into the pan.
6. A spatula for turning the crêpes.
7. A plate lined with a cotton towel or napkin to hold the crêpes as you make them and a second napkin or towel to place over them.

Mixing the batter: The batter will make better crêpes if it’s mixed a couple of hours ahead of time and left to stand at room temperature.

1. Mix the flour and salt together in one bowl. Beat the eggs in a second bowl and gradually add the flour and salt mixture while continuing to beat with the mixer.
2. Still mixing, gradually pour in the milk, butter and Cognac.
3. If possible, leave the batter at room temperature for a couple of hours before making the crêpes.

Making the crêpes:

1. Pour the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil into the saucer and dip a section of the paper towel in it. Rub the oiled towel over the surface of the erepe pan.
2. Heat the pan over medium heat until it is hot—just as you would if making pancakes—and pour in about 1/4 cup of batter, swirling it around over the bottom of the pan to cover it.
3. In a minute or two, when the bottom is golden and the top is dry, turn the crêpe and fry it a little more until that side is golden. Transfer it to the napkin-lined plate, cover it, and continue to make more crepes, wiping the pan with the oiled paper towel between crêpes.

A Note: Basically, crêpe-making becomes easy with practice. Whatever sort of pan you use, after a few tries, you will figure out the best cooking time, heat and best amount of batter for that pan. Crêpes freeze very well. Place them between sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper, and wrap them in a plastic wrap. By separating the crêpes between sheets of paper, it is easy to take them out and thaw just as many as you want at a time.

An acknowledgment: This recipe is adapted from one in Menus for Entertaining (1960) by Juliette Elkon and Elaine Ross. The diplomatickitchen has never come across another as good as this one.