Nothing is more simple or enjoyable than Breton crêpes.
But here they are the size of blinis, and a spice syrup, cream and orange butter happily transport this traditional dish to another place.
I'm not sure that this recipe wasn't also inspired by the crêpes Suzette that used to be served in restaurants. We adored them as children, even more so because they were accompanied by a certain grandeur.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 whole eggs - 4 egg yolks - 110 g flour (4 oz) - 3 dl milk (1 1/4 cups) - 160 g sugar (6 oz) - 1 pinch salt - 70 g butter (2 1/3 oz) - 50 cl orange juice (2 cups, about six oranges) - 150 g crème fraîche (6 oz) - 2 dl heavy cream (3/4 cup) - 4 oranges - 1 vanilla pod - cinnamon stick - 2 cloves - 10 g fresh ginger (1/3 oz) - 4 bunches lemon balm - Icing sugar
Easy and quick - You will need a blini pan.
Basic preparation
A little more than an hour beforehand, the crêpe batter: in a bowl, place the 2 eggs, 10 g (1/3 oz) sugar and pinch of salt. Whip until the mixture turns creamy white, add 60 g (2 oz) sifted flour and mix again. Add the milk bit by bit. When the batter is smooth, let it rest for 1 hour.
Then, the orange cream: boil 25 cl (1 cup) orange juice with 150 g (6 oz) heavy cream. Place 4 egg yolks in a bowl, add 50 g (2 oz) sugar and whip until the mixture turns creamy white. Add 50 g flour, then the boiling liquid. Mix, return the mixture to the saucepan and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour this cream into a large bowl. Whisk it occasionally as it cools. When it is cold, gently add 2 dl (3/4 cup) whipped cream, folding it in to keep the texture light.
To cook the crêpes: cook very thin crêpes in buttered blini pans.
The spiced syrup : grate the zests of 2 oranges, peel the oranges whole with a knife to remove all the pith and cut between the fibres to remove the segments, being sure to save the juice. Place the juice, pulp (but not the segments) and zests in a saucepan with 100 g (4 oz) water, 100 g (4 oz) sugar, a vanilla pod split in half lengthwise, the cinnamon stick, the fresh ginger cut into slivers and 2 cloves. Simmer for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine strainer. Off the heat, add the orange segments and let the mixture cool.
Last minute
Place the crêpes on a cookie sheet and dry them in the oven for 30 minutes at 100 C (230 F). You'll need 16 mini-crêpes in total.
The orange butter : in a saucepan, place the 50 cl (2 cups) orange juice with the zests of 4 oranges. Boil to reduce by half, then, off the heat, gradually add 50 g (2 oz) chilled, diced butter, whisking constantly to create a smooth sauce. To serve, place three spoonfuls of orange cream on each plate. Stand four crisp crêpes per plate in the cream. On the side, arrange the warm, fresh crêpe, ruffling it slightly. Arrange a row of orange segments with a little spiced syrup. Then decorate the side of the plate with a drizzle of orange butter and a lemon balm leaf, as well as icing sugar.
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© Olivier Roellinger - Maisons de Bricourt.
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