Crêpe Suzette

Recipe No.: W-44

InternationalFrench75 minServes 4

Crêpe Suzette is a French dessert of thin pancakes folded into a sauce of caramelized sugar, butter, orange juice and zest. It is said to have been born by accident in 1895 at the Café de Paris in Monte Carlo, when a young assistant waiter, Henri Charpentier, was preparing the sauce in front of the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, and it caught fire. The prince is said to have loved the taste and asked for the dish to be named after a lady in his party called Suzette. That story comes from Charpentier's own memoirs and food historians do not agree on it: another account credits the actress Suzanne Reichenberg, and Escoffier's recipe, published in 1903, does not mention flaming at all. The traditional version is finished with an orange liqueur and set alight at the table; ours is alcohol-free and flame-free, and all of its flavor comes from caramel and fresh orange.

Origin of the dish: France — The origin of the name and the dish is disputed: Charpentier's account places it in Monte Carlo in 1895, other accounts place it in Paris, and none is confirmed

Photo: CrepeSuzette 20220507 205653.jpg by Ka23 13, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Ingredients for Crêpe Suzette

• 125 gplain flour (For the crêpes (about 12))
• 2Eggs
• 300 mlWhole milk
• 75 mlWater
• 1 tbspSugar and a pinch of salt
• 30 gMelted butter, plus a little butter for the pan
• ½ tspGrated orange zest (optional)
• 80 gsugar (For the sauce)
• 3 tbspWater
• 250 mlFresh orange juice (from 3 to 4 oranges)
• 2Zest of oranges, grated
• 1 tbspLemon juice
• 80 gCold butter, cubed
• 1 tspOrange blossom water (optional)
• To servepeeled orange segments and a scoop of halal vanilla ice cream (optional)

Method

1. Whisk the eggs with the milk and water. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar and salt, then pour in the liquid gradually, whisking, until the batter is smooth and the consistency of thin cream. Add the melted butter and, if you like, the orange zest.
2. Strain the batter if any lumps remain, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes (an hour is better) so the flour relaxes and the crêpes stay tender. Give it a quick whisk before using.
3. Heat a 20 to 22 cm non-stick pan over medium heat and wipe it with a very thin film of butter using a piece of kitchen paper.
4. Pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter (45 to 50 ml) and swirl the pan quickly so the batter coats the base in a very thin layer.
5. Cook the crêpe for 30 to 40 seconds until the underside is golden, then flip and cook for only 10 to 15 seconds. Slide it onto a plate and repeat to make about 12 crêpes, buttering the pan as needed and covering the stack so it does not dry out.
6. For the sauce: put the sugar and water in a wide pan (about 28 cm) over medium heat. Do not stir with a spoon; just swirl the pan gently for 6 to 8 minutes until the caramel is a golden amber.
7. Take the pan off the heat and carefully pour in the orange and lemon juice, as the caramel will spit and seize. Return to medium heat and boil for 5 to 7 minutes until the caramel dissolves and the liquid thickens and reduces to about 120 to 150 ml.
8. Lower the heat and add the butter piece by piece, stirring until melted and the sauce is glossy, then stir in the orange zest.
9. Dip each crêpe in the sauce on both sides, fold it in half and then in half again into a triangle, and arrange the triangles overlapping in the pan. Warm for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat, spooning the sauce over them. There is no alcohol and no flambé in this recipe.
10. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the orange blossom water if using. Serve 3 crêpes per person with the sauce, orange segments and a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you like.

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