Crêpes 2

Hello hello week end people!

Yes it is the week end and I don't know where you are, but here the weather definitely calls for comfort food. 

Since it is still pancake day, or rather week (or month? do we really need an excuse to have crêpes?) I thought I'd try L's gluten free recipe but wanted to make a dinner out of it, like we used to have at home when I was younger (following a tradition from Brittany - where I am NOT from). 

This requires 2 different batters, one for the savoury crêpes - or "galettes" - and one for the sweet ones (although you can use the crêpes mix for everything but don't put vanilla in it).

Galettes are even easier to make than crêpes so here's a quick recipe for you to impress your people this week end:

Ingredients: 

• 300 gr buckwheat flour (buckwheat is gluten free provided it has not been contaminated by wheat, check when buying it that it is suitable)
• 750 ml cold water
• 10 gr coarse salt (or a big pinch of table salt)
• 1 egg
  

Preparation: 

"Poêle à crêpes"

Mix the flour and salt and gradually add the water until you get a smooth preparation. Add the egg for texture and to get nice golden galettes.

Cook with a tiny nugget of butter, ideally in a flat shallow pan (like the special crêpes pan on the pic), but any non-stick frying pan will do. Once one side is cooked, flip it over to cook the other side: you can use a spatula but it's much more fun to just slide the crêpe to the edge of the pan then flip it with a flick of your wrist.  

I usually cook all the galettes then fill them in according to taste, it's nice to be able to customise for each guest. 

One of my favourites is an all time classic, I give you: 

"LA COMPLETE - THE MAKING OF"

A "complète" or "ham-egg-cheese" can be made 2 different ways: 
in between 2 galettes (a bit like a sandwich) or in 1 galette folded in half (like on the pics here). 

Just heat up a galette in your pan, break an egg on it (slightly to the side if you need to fold it afterwards), add a bit of salt. 
Then add a few shreds of ham and grated cheese. 
Fold the galette in half or add a second one on top and let it cook until the egg is done and the cheese melted. 

It should only take 2 to 4 minutes. You want the yoke to be runny, it's what gives such a delicious texture when you eat it. Like the French say: "Le yoke, c'est le gravy de la complète"... or maybe they don't... but you get the idea.

There's obviously an infinite variety of delicious fillings you can chose from, once again let your imagination take the lead! 

Of course, such a delicious meal calls for DESSERT so we tried L's recipe (as it is best to let it rest for 1h as well, you can prepare it before eating the galettes or even the day before). Well it works and it was delicious, we even managed to have amazingly thin crêpes (which is not easy with gluten free flour, the gum helps). One of the tricks is to cook them with butter. Please, please, DO resist the terrible temptation to go grease-free because you have a non stick pan! Crêpes are not meant to be dry and sensible, they are happy and tasty and they will never taste as good or be as thin without butter! 

And if that doesn't cheer up your week end, I'm afraid there's nothing more L and I can do for you... Wait actually: 
The best way to enjoy crêpes and galettes is with a nice apple cider. There you go!

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Min'

Crêpes

Hello!

February has arrived and we can be happy about it! It's time for pancake day also known as Shrove Tuesday (for the British)  and la Chandeleur (for the French)! Even though, it is not exactly the same thing, Pancake day is closer to Mardi Gras than La Chandeleur. One common point though, is that it's time to stuff our face with delicious crêpes !
But before the fun (or recipe, call it what you like), a little bit of history (because it's cool to be a geek!).


La Chandeleur : La Chandeleur finds its origin in pagan celebrations. According to different sources (Well, Wikipedia but it sounds more serious if you say you have several), it can be found in ancient roman celebrations (the cult of Lupercus) or in Celtic one (The cult of the Goddess Brigid). The common point between those two culture is: LIGHT, LIGHT, LIGHT (i'm getting carried away), or more accurately the darkness going away, purification, spring coming back, fertility, and the first sowing of the year, after a dark, dark, dark winter. The crêpes or Pancake by it's round shape and golden color is a strong symbol of the sun. People were then making some as a sign a celebration and to bring prosperity for the year.  

Mardi Gras/ Pancake day: Is as you know the day before Ash Wednesday, the last day you can enjoy greasy, tasty, buttery food before the painful period of lent (never tried it myself, but I'm sure it is). It is a tradition to eat pancake which are made from rich ingredients such as Milk, eggs and Flour. 


Traditions: 

• In France it is (or used to be) the day when children are wearing costumes and are going around the neighbourhood to get sweets, eggs, and crêpes. We also toss our pancake with a golden coin in the hand that holds the pan for good luck. 
• In the UK, there is a pancake race where the contestants have to cross a certain distance with a pan in their hand while tossing pancakes.

Well, now that the history bit is done, here is the recipe (for 8 to 10 people)

Ingredients: 

• 250 g of plain flour 
• 4 eggs
• 500 ml of milk (I use full fat, it's more creamy) 
• one pinch of salt
• 50g of melted butter 
• a big spoonful of vanilla sugar 

*for the gluten free readers, replace the plain flour with gluten free and 1/2 a tea spoon of Guar or Xantham Gum. 

Method: 

• Put the flour, the salt, the vanilla sugar, and the melted butter in a pot
• Add progressively the milk while whisking
• Add the eggs and carry on whisking (painful but you have to deserve your pancake) 

Nice touch: 

• You can add some Grand Marnier or Rum in the mix if you like it. 
• One of my favourite ways of eating pancakes is to squeeze half a lemon on it with a generous spoonful of sugar. 
• There are many, many ways of making pancakes, do not hesitate to experiment! 

Hope you'll all have a tasty pancake day.
L (who is seriously turning into Maïté).