Classic French Crêpes

Ingredients

• 250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 500ml (2 cups) whole milk
• 30g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for cooking
• 1 tbsp sugar (for sweet crêpes)
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
• For lemon-sugar serving: juice of 1 lemon, sugar
• For Suzette butter: 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau

Instructions

1. 1Make the batter: Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Add eggs and about 1/4 of the milk. Whisk from the center outward, gradually incorporating the flour. Once smooth, whisk in remaining milk and melted butter. The batter should be thin — thinner than pancake batter, like cream.
2. 2Rest the batter: let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight in the fridge). This relaxes the gluten and produces more tender, less rubbery crêpes.
3. 3Cook the crêpes: Heat a crêpe pan or 20–22cm non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with a very small amount of butter. When the butter stops sizzling and the pan is hot, pour in about 3–4 tablespoons of batter. Immediately tilt and swirl the pan to spread the batter into a thin, even circle.
4. 4Cook 1–1.5 minutes until the edges look dry and lacy, and the bottom is golden. Flip with a thin spatula (or your fingers and nerve) and cook the second side 30–60 seconds. It will be spotty and less attractive — that side faces in when you fold.
5. 5Continue with remaining batter. The first crêpe almost always fails — it seasons the pan. Stack cooked crêpes on a plate; they won't stick together.
6. 6To serve with lemon and sugar: fold each crêpe into quarters, squeeze lemon over, sprinkle sugar. For Suzette butter: cream butter with sugar, orange zest, and Grand Marnier. Warm in a skillet, add folded crêpes, bathe them in the sauce, and flambé if feeling theatrical.