Crêpes Suzette

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Jacques Pépin's recipe for these classic buttery, citrusy crêpes is ideal for entertaining a group.

Crepes Suzette
Photo:

Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Victoria Granof / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Total Time:
45 mins
Yield:
6 servings

While restaurants traditionally make the buttery, orange-flavored sauce for this famous dessert tableside from start to finish, this recipe from Jacques Pépin is ideal for entertaining a group at home. You can prepare all the crêpes in advance, and when it’s time to serve, dip the crêpes in the orange butter sauce and then add them to a large skillet with the liquor. Pépin flambés the liquor in front of his dinner guests and pours it over the platter of crêpes while still flaming.

Ingredients

Crêpes

  • 2 large eggs

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup whole milk

  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/3 cup cold water

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

Orange-Butter Sauce

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces), softened

  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

  • 1/2 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from about 2 medium oranges)

  • 3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau)

  • 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) Cognac

Directions

  1. Make the crêpes: Whisk together eggs, flour, milk, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth; batter will be thick. Whisk in water, oil, and melted butter until well combined.

  2. Heat a 10-inch crêpe pan or nonstick skillet over medium-high and brush with butter. Add 3 tablespoons batter and quickly tilt skillet to evenly distribute batter. Cook until the edges of the crêpe curl up and start to brown, about 45 seconds. Flip the crêpe using a long spatula; cook until a few brown spots appear on the bottom, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer the crêpe to a baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining batter to make about nine more crêpes, wiping skillet clean and lightly buttering skillet a few times as necessary between crêpes.

  3. Make the orange-butter sauce: Process butter, 1/3 cup sugar, and orange zest in a food processor. With processor running, gradually add orange juice until incorporated.

  4. Spoon butter mixture into a 12-inch flameproof skillet; cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Working with 1 crêpe at a time, dip both sides of crêpe in sauce using 2 forks or silicone spatulas; fold into fourths with prettiest side facing outward. Lift and let excess sauce drip off; transfer folded crêpe to a baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining crêpes, scraping down sides of skillet as needed. 

  5. Transfer folded crêpes back to skillet, overlapping slightly as needed to fit all 10 crêpes in skillet; scrape any excess sauce on baking sheet back into skillet. Sprinkle crêpes with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Increase heat to medium. Add Grand Marnier and cognac; carefully ignite sauce using a long-handled lighter. Carefully spoon flaming sauce over crêpes using a long-handled, heatproof spoon until flames subside, about 30 seconds. Transfer crêpes to a platter; spoon any extra sauce over top. Serve immediately.

Make ahead

Crêpes can be prepared through step 2, wrapped well, and stored in refrigerator up to 2 days. Bring crêpes to room temperature before proceeding with step 3.


Note

Recipe adapted from Essential Pépin: More Than 700 All-Time Favorites from My Life in Food by Jacques Pépin, by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in October 2011. Copyright 2011 by Jacques Pépin. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.


Suggested pairing

Sauternes, a sweet white wine from Bordeaux, typically has citrusy flavors which are fantastic with the orange butter for these crêpes.

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