Suzette Pancakes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •20 cm (8-inch) crêpe pan or low-sided nonstick skillet
• •30 cm (12-inch) wide skillet
• •Flexible crêpe spatula
• •Small whisk or wooden spoon
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Flavour Preparation A

   Whisk 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the curaçao and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the strained tangerine juice into Preparation A just until smooth. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes so the flour settles again and the bubbles rise away. Stir gently before cooking; a frothy batter leaves the crêpes pocked instead of fine and even.

2. 2

   Make beurre Suzette

   Reserve 1 teaspoon of the soft butter as insurance. Beat the rest in a small bowl until smooth and plastic, then work in the remaining curaçao and tangerine juice one teaspoon at a time, beating each addition in completely before the next. The beurre Suzette should hold soft ridges and show no beads of liquid. If it splits into greasy curds, stop. Ça se rattrape: beat the reserved butter smooth in a clean bowl, then add the broken mixture to it a teaspoon at a time until the emulsion comes back together.

3. 3

   Cook the crêpes

   Set a 20 cm (8-inch) crêpe pan over medium heat and brush it with the thinnest film of melted butter. Pour in a scant 3 tablespoons (about 40 ml) of batter, immediately tilting the pan so it runs into a thin round. Cook until the surface loses its wet shine and the rim turns lacy and bronze, 45 to 60 seconds, then turn and cook the second side for 10 to 15 seconds. If the first crêpe tears, give the next one a few seconds longer before turning it. The first is tuition. Stack all 12 crêpes on a plate and cover them loosely with a clean towel.

4. 4

   Coat and fold

   Following the Gil-Blas pancake coating method, lay one warm crêpe flat and spread about 2 level teaspoons of beurre Suzette thinly across its entire surface, right to the rim. Fold it in half, then in half again to make a loose quarter. Repeat with the remaining crêpes. A thin complete coating is the point; a heavy lump of butter in the centre melts out and leaves the edges bare.

5. 5

   Warm to a gloss

   Arrange six folded crêpes in a wide clean skillet, overlapping them only slightly. Set the pan over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, turning the crêpes once and spooning the melted beurre Suzette over them until their surfaces gleam. If the butter begins to foam and fry, lift the pan from the heat; it should melt and coat, not brown. Transfer them to a warmed platter and repeat with the second batch. Spoon over every drop of fragrant butter and serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use fragrant, sharp-sweet tangerines and strain the juice well. Pulp and seeds disturb the beurre Suzette, while ordinary sweet orange changes the dish's defining perfume.
• •Choose a good amber or clear curaçao with a clean citrus character. Bright blue curaçao brings colour the crêpes never asked for and usually more sweetness than the butter needs.
• •The pan is ready when a drop of batter begins setting at once but doesn't seize before you can tilt it. Too cool gives pale, leathery crêpes; too hot sets the batter in a thick patch.
• •Serve these immediately after glazing, whether they close a dinner or anchor a celebration brunch. The pleasure is the contrast between tender crêpe, bronzed rim, and warm butter still clinging to the folds.

Advance Preparation

• •Preparation A can be mixed and rested according to its own entry up to one day ahead. Keep it covered in the cold, then return it to cool room temperature and stir gently before adding the curaçao and tangerine juice.
• •The beurre Suzette can be prepared up to two days ahead and kept covered in the cold. Let it soften until spreadable before using; don't melt it.
• •The crêpes may be cooked earlier the same day, stacked, covered, and kept cool. Coat, fold, and glaze them only when the table is ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 150g)