Jacques Pepin Crepe Batter Food

CREPES

Steps:

• Place the flour in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in a third of a cup of the milk and the egg whites, beating until smooth. Add the remainder of the milk, water, sugar, rum and four teaspoons of the oil and whisk until well blended.
• Heat a small (about six inches in diameter) nonstick skillet and add the remaining quarter teaspoon of oil to the pan (see note) to coat it. When the oil is hot, place one tablespoon of the batter in the skillet and quickly tilt and shake the pan to cover the bottom of the pan with the batter. The faster you spread the batter, the thinner your crepe will be. Allow the crepe to cook between 35 and 45 seconds, until browned on the bottom, then turn it over and cook on the other side for an additional 30 seconds. Continue with the remaining batter.

CREPE BATTER RECIPE

Steps:

• In a blender, combine all the ingredients except for the cooking oil and blend for 1 minute on high. Refrigerate the batter for 2 hours.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the skillet with oil and place over medium-high heat. When the pan is just beginning to smoke, remove from heat, and pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the middle of the pan and quickly tilt in all directions for 2 or 3 seconds to evenly distribute the batter. Return the pan to the heat and when slightly brown on the underside, turn the crepe with a spatula onto the other side and cook for a few seconds. Remove from pan. Repeat with remaining batter.

BASIC CREPE BATTER

Steps:

• Beat together the eggs and milk with a whisk or in an electric blender. (We always use the blender and it's easy to pour from).
• Sift the flour with the salt and add to the egg and milk mixture.
• Add the melted butter or vegetable oil and blend thoroughly.
• If beating by hand, strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.
• Allow mixture to stand for at least an hour before using (my kids can't do that!). If the batter is too thick, add a little milk and mix.
• Pour one or two tablespoons of the batter in the centre of a hot, nonstick frying pan. Tilt to spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Cook until the top is dry. Turn over and cook the other side for about 15 seconds. Don't worry if the first couple aren't perfect - those are the trial ones for me!
• You can roll these with fruit inside and top with whipped cream. My kids like using peanut butter and bananas and I like blueberries or spinach and mushrooms. Be adventuresome!