Crêpes, oh crêpes

I first learned to make crepes when I was in primary/grade school. It was a rare treat for poor kids like us. My grandmother would make the batter (she told us she had learned that while working as a cook for some French people) and I would be allowed to make the crêpes. My uncle would cut about 8in off a banana leave stalk (we still had banana trees in our garden then) and split one end into strips. That would be my disposable oil brush. Some creativity there!!!! At the time I thought what my grandmother said was something to humor a kid who didn't have access to fancy food. And French food always sounds uber fancy!!! I mean how could something so simple be ... French? During my junior year in college, I spent a semester abroad in Paris and crêpes almost became a daily ritual. Who could resist 3.5-4 euros deals of 1 panini and 1 nutella crêpe, right? Sure they were so much bigger, and richer with butter but they taste very much the same as the ones my grandmother taught me to make. I'm still amazed by the fact that I didn't put on weight at the end of the semester given the amount of starch I consumed during those months!! Oh I know why, that was because my host mom kinda starved us when dinner came! That's another story for another time perhaps.

One thing that annoys me (I'm picky I know) is that many people (especially Americans) say something like "oh crêpes, you mean the French pancake?" and I'm thinking in my head (well, sometimes what I think in my head makes its way to my mouth too) "what the heck!!" I mean, sure, they both contain egg, milk and flour but they are definitely not the same! While pancakes rely on your not overmixing the batter and baking power and baking soda to become fluffy, the batter for crêpes does not use any baking soda/powder and requires thorough mixing for they are so much more delicate.

I actually don't make crêpes very often since I can't finish 12 crepes in 2-3 days even though I do like them very much. But since mangoes were on sale, I thought they would make great filling for crepes ;) and that turned out to be true. So here you are

I think I saved this recipe after watching the Good Eats episode in which Alton Brown was making crêpes.

INGREDIENTS:
Make about 12 crêpes

2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
3 Tsp melted butter
Butter, for coating the pan

*For sweet crêpes: Add 2Tsp sugar and 1tsp vanilla extract
For savory ones: Add 1/4 tsp salt and your favorite chopped herb(s)

METHOD:

In a blender, combine all the ingredients and pulse until very well mixed. This doesn't take too long, probably about 10-15s.

Chill the crepe batter for 1h. This gives the bubbles time to subside and crepes will be less likely to tear during cooking. The batter is good for up to 48h.

Heat a non-stick pan. Add butter to coat. Pour 1 ounce of batter into the center of the pan and swirl to spread the batter evenly. Cook for 30s and flip. Cook for another 10s and remove to a cutting board to cool. Repeat until the batter is finished. Once the crêpes have cooled down completely, they can be stacked and stored in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. (I put a layer of plastic wrap in between 2 crepes while stacking, parchment paper works just as well.) Frozen crêpes should be thawed on a rack completely before use. 

Bon appetit!

*If you are indecisive like me, you could do what I did. I added the vanilla extract and 1Tsp sugar. This way I could use my crêpes for both sweet and savory fillings.

For a healthy serving: add strawberries (or any kind of berries really) macerated in 1Tsp sugar and lemon zest and lemon juice.

For a more indulgent version: add your favorite homemade ice cream or whipped cream or whatever else you fancy.

I filled my savory crepes with spinach (quickly tossed in a dressing of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey and Dijon mustard), prosciutto torn into small pieces, sliced sun-dried tomatoes and crumbles Gorgonzola. The sweetness from the dressing balances the saltiness from the prosciutto and cheese well, yummy!!!!