Every good little French girl knows how to make three things: crepes, vinaigrette and tarte tatin. I can't say I was a model child, but I can make a mean, paper-thin crepes to hold everything from a slice of gruyere to, you guessed it, chocolate. Have fun with this one!
Crepes
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
In a larger bowl, whisk together:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tsps olive oil
zest of a half a lemon (optional)
1. Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and whisk until well combined. Your batter should be almost watery; add more water, a few tablespoons at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
2. Let the dough rest on the counter for a few minutes while you ready your pan.
3. Place a crepe or sautee pan on a burner. Heat on medium high. Once hot, lightly oil the pan.
4. Pick up your pan and, using a measuring cup or ladle, pour a thin amount of batter while twisting the pan around. You want a paper-thin amount of batter in your hot pan.
5. Once the crepe is nearly fully cooked, flip it over and cook on the other side just until it is evenly browned.
Quick tips
1. To easily and evenly oil your pan, cut a potato in half and dip it into a bowl with a bit of oil in it. Stick a fork in the potato and apply the oil with it.
2. You can store the batter in the fridge for up to a week. Simply take it out and thin the batter with some room temperature water.
Macerated Berries
All this means is that you'll be tossing berries with some form of sugar to bread down the fruit gently. Here's what I like around early summer, but feel free to customize seasonally!
Toss gently together in a medium bowl:
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries, cut into thirds
1/4 cup chopped, toasted pistachios
1/2 cup honey
1. Once tossed, leave the fruit on the counter for a good half and hour (or longer in the fridge).
2. Pour out a little bit of the liquid that has been siphoned off the fruit and place in a small bowl.
3. Make your crepes, then fill with fruit. Roll up the crepes and pour the reserved syrup over the crepes.