French Orange Pancakes Flambé (Crêpes Suzette)
A French dessert that's more than its pyrotechnics, this combination of tender French crêpes, orange caramel and flaming orange liqueur is a classic on merit alone.
A jewel in classical French desserts, it’s believed this dish was created in the late 1800’s as a tribute to a woman named ‘Suzette’. There are many accounts of how the dish came to life, each one as fantastical as the other. There are two parts to this dish: the crêpes and the beurre Suzette. I’ll show you how to perfect them both. The crêpes are made traditionally; they’re cooked on one side to a lacy crisp and folded. The beurre Suzette cooks sugar to a caramel, before adding butter, orange and a dash of orange liqueur. Finally, a lit match ignites the pan into a mystical blue flame, encasing the crêpes in a rich orange caramel. Don’t fear the flambé, I’ll show you how to pull that off too. Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (serves 2x)
CRÊPES
160g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
350ml whole milk
1x large egg
25g butter, melted
ORANGE FLAMBÉE
5x tablespoons granulated sugar
50g butter
2x strips of orange zest
150ml orange juice
50ml orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier) - optional but highly recommended
1/4 tsp salt
To serve: whipped cream or ice cream
WALKTHROUGH
CRÊPES
First, let’s make the crêpe batter. In a mixing bowl, combine the 160g plain flour and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the 350ml milk and 1x egg and whisk until combined. Add the 25g melted butter and mix until smooth. Set the mixture aside for at least one hour, or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Now we’ll prepare the crêpe pan. Place a frying pan onto medium heat. Allow it to pre-heat for 2-3 minutes. Just before cooking the first crêpe, wipe a small amount of cooking oil around the bottom and side of the pan with some kitchen paper.
To cook the crêpes, add a ladleful of crêpe batter to the centre of the pan, then tilt the pan in a circle allowing the batter to skate around the edges and slightly up the sides. Cook the crepe for 1-2 minutes, or until it forms blisters in the centre and the edges begin to release from the pan. Fold the crêpe in half, then fold again into a quarter and set aside on a plate while you make your next one. The first crêpe is usually the most problematic - adjust your heat accordingly if it burns too fast or takes too long to cook. If your crêpes tend to stick, it usually means the pan is not hot enough or the crêpe needs more time cooking.
Once the crêpes are cooked, we can make the caramel. Wipe the frying pan clean and then scatter 5 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the pan. Place the pan onto medium heat and allow the sugar to melt and slowly turn brown - like a copper penny. You may use a spoon to stir the sugar as it melts.
When you have a molten caramel, immediately add the 50g of butter followed by the strips of orange zest. The mixture will seethe and splutter. Once the butter has melted, add the 150ml of orange juice and carefully stir the mixture until it’s smooth and bubbling.
Carefully place your folded crêpes into the pan, dipping both sides in the caramel first to coat them. Once they’re arranged in your pan, we’re ready to flambé.
To flambé the crêpes, turn the heat up to high. Measure the 50ml orange liqueur into a jug and pour it around the outer edge of the pan. Never pour it directly from the bottle. Using a lit match, or by tilting the pan towards a gas flame, ignite the alcohol to form a blue flame. Shimmy and shake the pan to shake out the flame and burn off the alcohol. Once extinguished, turn off the heat.
Serve the crêpes immediately with whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy!
