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Cooking Class: French Crêpes Three Ways: Sweet, Savory, Suzette with Shawnie Kelley
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Moving on to Paris, Shawnie discusses how to make a sweet batter for a classic Parisian crêpe and demonstrates proper pouring and swirling around the crêpe pan to produce the defining lacy, crispy, curled edges. The same batter is used to make Crêpe Suzette, a famous, boozy, dessert originating in the French Riviera. After soaking pre-made crêpes in Grand Marnier, the alcohol is lit on fire to caramelize the sauce with a flourish.
During the seminar, Shawnie will discuss variations on the recipes, different flavors, and leavenings and the cultural importance of the crêpe during the religious feast of Candlemas in early February. Participants will leave this class armed with skills to make a variety of batters, properly swirl crêpes, and the dramatic art of flambé.
CLASSIC CRÊPE BATTER
1 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 Tbs. melted butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. salt
OPTIONAL: 1 tablespoon sugar – for sweet crêpes
Butter for cooking the crêpes
BUCKWHEAT CRÊPES (GALETTES)
SERVES 6
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
CRÊPES SUZETTE
SERVES 4
6 Tbs. butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbs. finely zested orange
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or Orange Liqueur
1 Tbs. cognac
EQUIPMENT
Blender or large bowl and whisk
Crêpe pan or 8" skillet (non-stick is OK)
Medium skillet (for suzette)
Small Skillet (to cook egg)
Liquid measuring cup
Ladle
Thin spatula
Columbus-based author and Chef Instructor, Shawnie Kelley is a food and travel writer who has published four books, including "Discover Cape Cod" and "It Happened on Cape Cod," as well as hundreds of food, travel, and history-related magazine articles. She teaches cooking classes at Columbus State in Columbus, Ohio, and was previously the Resident Chef for Sur La Table. As a food lover, Shawnie is particularly interested in regional culinary traditions and how food connects us with a place and with each other. In 2008, she started Wanderlust Tours, a cultural and culinary travel company conducting food and art tours throughout Europe and the US. She has been teaching cooking and travel classes for nearly twenty years. Shawnie attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.; The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH., The University of Edinburgh, Scotland; and the University of Nice in the south of France. Her academic background is in Art History with a focus on Medieval and Renaissance architectural history, but her passion for food grew out of exploring markets and taking cooking classes around the world. She is an avid home cook, runner, herb gardener, and cat lover.
This conversation is suitable for all ages.
90 minutes, including a 30 minute Q&A.
Fantastic class! The combination of Shawnie's very clear instruction and the great camera work that let you see everything that was going on made this class so easy to follow. I had always thought that making crepes might be beyond my skill set but not any more thanks to this class.
An excellent description of the making of an item that seems foreign and difficult, but is really quite simple.