Dennis Prescott

Crepes!!

PANCAKE DAY!!!

Whether you call it Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, Fat Tuesday, or something I’ve never heard of, the beautiful fact is this: any chance that you have to overindulge in maple syrup smothered, sugary, doughy goodness is the best kind of day.

I grew up on a steady diet of pancakes, and spending my childhood in Nouveau Brunswick, that diet was high on crepes. Three years ago we travelled to Paris and spent a glorious week in food, culture, joie de vie heaven. And every night, like clockwork, we would stumble back to the Airbnb flat we rented, slightly foggy on full-bodied red, and stop at the corner crepe spot for a midnight snack. Unquestionably one of the simplest, and most delicious things in the world. I typically gravitate towards the savoury things in life, so my go-to was a crepe with gruyere cheese and a fried egg. Holy Bananas it was delicious. The best possible end to a day of exploring in my favourite city on the planet.

The other kind of pancakes that seriously blew my mind while in Paris were Buckwheat Crepes, specifically the ones we had as recommended by the wonderful David Lebovitz at Breizh Cafe. Filled with melted gruyere, top quality ham, and a fried egg. HEAVEN. H.E.A.V.E.N. Please eat here if you visit the City of Light.

Here is my go-to recipe for crepes with maple caramelized apples. There is literally a million options for toppings, and please let your topping freedom flag fly sky high. Fried Eggs, Lemon & Powdered Sugar, Smoked Salmon, Fresh Fruit. The world is your crepe oyster. Go for it.

Basic Crepes 

3 free range eggs

125 grams all purpose flour

250ml whole milk

Pinch of salt

Butter

Maple Glazed Apples

2 tablespoons butter

3 large Royal Gala or Honeycrisp Apples

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Combine the eggs, flour, milk, and a pinch of salt in the base of a blender, and blend until smooth. Run the batter through a strainer set overtop a bowl, to remove any lumps. Cover, and place in the fridge overnight.

The next day.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, and melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Peel and slice the apples into 1/2 inch wedges, and toss them in the cinnamon. Add the apples to the pan and sauté, turning every minute or so, for 6 – 8 minutes, until they have started to soften (you can check this by poking a knife into the center of an apple slice). Pour in the maple syrup, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. The syrup will bubble away and start to caramelize around the apples. Transfer to a dish and set aside.

Crepe time! Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, and melt a small knob of butter (you want just enough butter to coat the entire surface of the pan that you’re using).

Pour in 1 ladle of batter, swirling the pan at the same time as you pour so that the batter coats the base of the pan. (With my pan, I pour in about 1/2 cup of batter, but how much batter that you need will depend on the pan size you’re rocking). Cook for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes, then flip and cook another 1 minute, or until golden brown on both sides.

Serve immediately with your apples. For next level action, add some more maple syrup, vanilla ice cream, and fresh fruit. Eat Delicious.