Crepes suzette and crepes Flambees

If you are into French crepes, there are 2 famous French crepes recipe that you need to know and try. the first one is the crepe suzette and the second one is the crepes flambe.  However it is important to note that the crepe suzette is not what many people tend to think it is. The crepe suzette is a crepe coated with a sugary mandarin and orange liqueur flavoured butter while the crepes flambe is a crepe bathed in a preparation made out of sugar orange and lemon juice, topped up with grand marnier and flambe with cognac toward the end. Now let’s have a look at each recipe and what you need to make them.

Let’s start with the crepe flambe:

How to make the Crepes flambe:

Notes: the recipe below assumes that you have already made several fresh crepes. if you need to learn how to make the crepes please refer this crepe making tutorial.

Utensils needed:

• 1 thick bottomed stainless pan 10 inch (28cm) diameter is best
• 1 fork
• 1 spoon

Ingredients: enough for two batch of crepes ( 2 times 3) so make you divide the measurement on half.

• 6 crepes
• 150 ml of orange juice (pulp free)
• 70 grams of unsalted butter
• 70 grams of caster sugar
• half a lemon
• around 2 teaspoons of orange zest ( grated using a zester)
• 4 tablespoon of Cognac ( I used courvoisier cognac)
• 6 tablespoon of Grand Marnier

Since this crepe dessert is usually prepared in front of the guests (typically made by head waiter in most fine dining French restaurants.) it is important to have all the ingredients neatly prepared and ready to be used before you start. that involves measuring the sugar, juices, liquors, and grate you orange zest.

Once your ingredients are ready you can start. remember that to succeed making that dish you need to be in charge, meaning you need to be confident and meticulous. remember that the the ingredients have to be added one after another without pause unless it is for reducing.

let’s start:

1. Start by placing your pan over low heat and pour in (around the middle of the pan) about 2 tablespoons of white granulated sugar.
2. Leave the sugar to melt slowly on its own in the pan ( it can take up to 3 minutes)  until it starts to color and begin to look like a lightly colored caramel
3. when it does, start by adding the butter in (around 2 tablespoons)  and using a fork blend it quickly with the sugar.
4. Add a squeeze of lemon juice then mix well.
5. Add the orange zest, followed by the orange juice. raise your heat to medium and leave to reduce for 1 minute.
6. After a minute, pour in 3 tablespoons of grand marnier then leave to reduce again for a minute.
7. You can now start coating and folding each crepe in that juice one by one ( first on one side, then on the other side) once folded put them aside toward the top of the pan ( as shown in the video)
8. when you 3 crepes are coated with the juices and laid flat at the bottom of you pan ( not overlapping), raise you heat to high and pour 2 tablespoons of cognac over the crepes.
9. bring the edge of you pan ( the edge that is away from you) toward the flame of you stove then tilt your pan slightly so that the cognac ignites.
10. once the flambe is taking place shake you pan gently to further coat the crepes with the juices. finally whent the flames goes out your crepes are ready to be served.

How to make the Crepes suzette:

the crepes suzette are actually plain crepes that are coated in a mandarin butter infused butter. the butter can be made in advance up to 24 hours and be used whenever you need it.

for this recipe it will be important to have again a bunch of crepes ready of course like the crepe Flambee. it can be an interesting theme for dessert if you host a dinner party to have  both style of crepes served to your guest at an interval it will also showcase your skills and dedication as you can actually make both of these using a small portable induction stove that you would placed near the table on a trolley or mobile kitchen island for example. ( just an idea)

How to make the Suzette butter:

in a bowl mixed the following ingredients:

• 100 grams of plain butter ( has to be soften at room temperature)
• 100 grams caster sugar ( white fine sugar)
• 1 Mandarin ( juice + zest)
• 2 tablespoon of triple sec or curacao liqueur
• 2 tablespoon of orange zest and rind (for decoration)
• powder sugar ( for decoration)

1. Start by grating the zest of the mandarin  in a bowl.and when done press and reserve the juice.
2. Add the butter and mix gently to a paste using a fork
3. add all of the sugar and mix well
4. add the liquor
5. and add finally the mandarin juice in the mix and mix well with a fork. note that for the mandarin juice it is best to add it bit a a time. I found that half of the mandarin juice was enough.

To prepare the crepes Suzette for service it is just a matter of warming up each crepes in a pan on very low heat then , when the crepe is warm enough coat it with some of the butter. wait for the butter to melt and the crepe to be nice and warm then fold it and put on a plate. decorate with orange zest and serve.