CREPES SUZETTE

By Shaylie

It takes a few crepes to get the heat of the pan right; your first two or three will almost inevitably be unusable. (To allow for practice, the recipe yields about 16 crepes; only 12 are needed for the dish.) A dry measuring cup with a -cup capacity is useful for portioning the batter. Tasters had a slight preference fbr crepes made with whole milk, but low-fat or skim milk can also be used

Ingredients

• Crêpes
• 3 large eggs
• 1-1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1-1/2 cups (7-1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cognac
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for brushing pan
• Orange Sauce
• 4 tablespoons cognac
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1-1/4 cups juice plus 1 tablespoon finely grated zest from 3 to 4 large oranges
• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, preferably triple sec

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

1. FOR THE CREPES: Combine eggs, milk, water, flour, cognac, sugar, salt, and melted but¬ter in blender until smooth batter forms, about 10 seconds. Transfer batter to medium bowl.
2. Using pastry brush, brush bottom and sides of 10-inch nonstick skillet very lightly with melted butter; heat skillet over medium heat. When but¬ter stops sizzling, tilt pan slightly to right and begin pouring in scant 1/4 cup batter. Continue to pour batter in slow, steady stream, rotating wrist and twirling pan slowly counterclockwise until pan bottom is covered with even layer of batter.
Cook until crepe starts to lose opaqueness and turns spotty light golden brown on bottom, loos- ening crepe from side of pan with rubber spatula, 30 seconds to 1 minute. To flip crepe, loosen edge with rubber spatula and, with fingertips on top side, slide spatula under crepe and flip. Cook until dry on second side, about 20 seconds.
3. Place cooked crepe on plate and repeat cooking process with remaining batter, brushing pan very lightly with butter before making each crepe. As they are done, stack crepes on plate (you will need 12 crepes). (Crepes can be double- wrapped in plastic and refrigerated up to 3 days. If crepes have been refrigerated, bring them to room temperature before making sauce.)
4. FOR THE ORANGE SAUCE: Adjust oven
rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Add 3 tablespoons cognac to broilersafe 12-inch skillet; set over medium heat just until vapors begin to rise from cognac, about 5 seconds. Remove pan from heat and wave lit chimney match over cognac until it ignites; shake pan until flames subside. (Cognac should burn for about 15 seconds; re-ignite if flame dies too soon.)
5. Add butter, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 cup orange juice to cognac; simmer bris:ly over high heat, whisking occasionally, until many large bub- bles appear and mixture reduces tc thick syrup, 6 to 8 minutes. (You should have 11.1; t over 1/2 cup sauce.) Transfer sauce to small bowl do not wash skillet. Stir remaining 1/4 cup orange juice, zest, liqueur, and remaining tablespoon cognac into sauce. Cover to keep warm.
6. TO ASSEMBLE: Fold each crepe; in half, then in half again to form wedge shape. Arrange 9 folded crepes around edge of now-empty skillet, with rounded edges facing overlapping as necessary to fit. Arrange remaining 3 crepes in center of pan. Sprinkle air+ evenly with remaining tablespoon sugar. Place sillet in oven and broil until sugar caramelizes and crepes turn spotty brown, about minutes. (Watch crepes constantly to prevent scorching; turn pan as nec- essary.) Remove pan from oven anc. pour half of sauce over crepes, leaving sole areas unsauced. Transfer crepes to individual Iservihg dishes and serve immediately, passing extra sauce separately