Pancakes à la Normande

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •10-inch (25 cm) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet
• •Thin flexible spatula and broad turning spatula
• •Bare metal rimmed baking sheet
• •Fine-mesh sieve

Instructions

1. 1

   Rest the batter

   Whisk the flour and salt together, make a well in the centre, and add the eggs with half the milk. Whisk from the centre outward until smooth, then gradually work in the remaining milk. Melt 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of the butter and whisk it into the batter. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes so the flour hydrates and the crêpes cook tender rather than rubbery. It should fall from the ladle in a thin, continuous ribbon; if stubborn lumps remain, pass it through a fine sieve.

2. 2

   Sauté the apples

   Melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the butter in a 10-inch (25 cm) skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté means cooking quickly in butter over lively heat so the food takes colour rather than stews. Add the apple slices in two batches, keeping them as close to one layer as possible, and cook until their broad faces are bronzed and the centres are just tender, about 3 minutes per batch. Transfer them to a plate. If the apples flood the pan with juice, lift them out and boil the liquid until only glossy butter remains, then return the slices for 30 seconds. Ça se rattrape. The pan must be dry before batter enters it.

   Fine means about ⅛ inch (3 mm). Thicker slices remain hard inside the crêpe; paper-thin ones collapse before they can brown.
3. 3

   Ready pan and broiler

   Wipe the skillet clean without washing away its buttered seasoning. Set an oven rack about 6 inches (15 cm) below the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Brush a bare metal baking sheet lightly with some of the remaining butter, then return the skillet to medium heat.

4. 4

   Enclose the apples

   Brush the skillet with a thin film of butter and pour in 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of batter, tilting the pan just enough to form a round about 6 inches (15 cm) across. Arrange a single layer of browned apple over the batter, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) border. Spoon another 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of batter over the fruit, coaxing it to meet the lower layer around the edge. Cook until the border looks set and the underside is deep butter-gold, about 2 minutes. This enclosure is the structure borrowed from the Convent Pancake, so keep the fruit between the layers rather than scattering it on top.

5. 5

   Turn without fear

   Loosen the crêpe completely with a thin spatula, slide a broad spatula underneath, and turn it in one confident movement. Cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden and sealed, then transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. If it tears, lay it flat, spoon a teaspoon of batter across the tear, and return that side to the pan until the patch sets. Ça se rattrape. Repeat with the remaining batter, apples, and butter to make 8 crêpes, arranging them in one layer on the sheet.

6. 6

   Sugar and glaze

   Sprinkle the caster sugar evenly over the crêpes and place them beneath the broiler until the sugar melts and freckles amber, 30 to 90 seconds. Watch without wandering off; sugar moves from gold to bitter black with very little ceremony. If one edge colours faster, rotate the sheet or lower it by one rack. Serve two crêpes per person while the glazed tops and buttered edges are still crisp. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a firm apple with enough acidity to stand against butter and sugar. Reinette or Boskoop is splendid when available; Granny Smith or Pink Lady is an honest market equivalent. A mealy apple collapses, while a soft, juicy one waters the crêpe.
• •Colour the apples in batches. Crowding saves a few minutes and costs the dish its structure, because trapped moisture turns a sauté into a stew. This step is the dish, not scaffolding.
• •Keep cinnamon, vanilla, and spirits for another recipe. The source changes pear to apple and lets butter carry the flavour; burying that clean line under perfume only makes the crêpe less itself.
• •For dinner, pour a dry Norman cider. Its acidity cuts the butter and catches the apple without adding more sweetness.

Advance Preparation

• •The batter can be mixed up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated in a covered bowl. Whisk it gently before cooking; if it has thickened markedly, loosen it with a spoonful of the measured milk before assembling the recipe.
• •The apples can be sautéed up to 4 hours ahead, cooled in a single layer, and refrigerated. Let them lose their chill before filling the crêpes so they do not seize the batter.
• •The filled crêpes may wait on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes before sugaring and glazing. Do not hold them assembled for hours, because the fruit will eventually soften the inner layers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 195g)