Crêpe Suzette

History of Crêpe Suzette: The name and origin of this world-famous French dessert are disputed. Perhaps it was first created by sheer chance in 1895 by a fourteen-year-old French waiter, Henri Charpentie working at the Maitre at Monte Carlo's Café de Paris. In his biography, Henri wrote that he was serving the future king of England when his sauce and cordials caught on fire and as he had no time to make another dessert he tasted the flambéed sauce and thought it delicious. So it was served. His Majesty King Edward VII asked that the new desert be named after one of his guests, a lovely French girl named Suzette. But because Henri Charpentie was an apprentice waiter at fourteen, many people believe the more likely claim to the origin of Crêpes Suzette states the dish was named after a French actress who worked professionally as Suzette. In 1897 she played a maid who served Crêpes on stage. The Crêpes were supplied by Monsieur Joseph, owner of Restaurant Marivaux. He decided to flambé the Crêpes in order to draw attention to his Restaurant and to keep the Crêpes hot for the actors to eat.

Crêpe Suzette:

(makes 4-5 in 23cm thick-based frying pan)

Make batter first:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup plain flour

  • 1 1/2 cups almond milk

  • 2 tablespoons (either) extra virgin olive or coconut oil

Method:

keeping aside 1 tablespoon oil, blend remaining oil, flour and milk, then refrigerate for at least one hour. Using the remaining oil add a few drops to a pan over low heat. When the oil is hot, gently pour in just enough batter to cover the base. When the cooking batter loses it's liquid state and looks dry on the surface, lift the pan off the heat and wriggle the crepe lose. Return the pan to the heat and after a few seconds lift the side of the Crêpe and see if it is coloured, if so turn over and brown the other side. Slip Crêpe on a hot plate, fold in half and place in a warmed oven. Cook the remaining batter.

  • Note: For a thinner batter add a little water, blend well and let stand another ten minutes before using. For a sweeter batter, add 1 teaspoon vanilla essence and 1 tablespoon icing sugar.

Crêpe Suzette Sauce:

Ingredients:

  • 3 large oranges

  • margarine

  • icing sugar

  • 3 tablespoons each Curacao & Grand Marnier

  • mint leaves for garnish

  • icing sugar for dusting

  • a long match for igniting

Method: Finely grate the skin of the citrus fruit. Squeeze the juice from 2 oranges, then strain it. Remove the pith from the third orange and divide the fruit into small segments. Put margarine in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat and wait till turns liquid. Add the juice and rind, when bubbly, add the sugar and stir till the sugar dissolves.

Assemble Crêpe Suzette: (Work quickly)

Mix 3 tablespoons each Curacao and Grand Marnier, fold each Crêpe in half again, place it on a warm serving dishes, continue till all Crêpes have been folded. Pour the hot sauce over the Crêpes, quickly pour the alcohol over the Crêpes. Using a long match ignite the sauce, dust with icing sugar and garnish with fresh mint leaves (garnish optional).

"Fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers" - Persian Proverb.