Crepes Suzette 1974

Over Christmas we were lucky enough to be cooked for by our families, so for New Year we decided to have a nice meal with just the two of us.  I rarely cook game so took the opportunity to try a main course of pheasant with boulanger potatoes and cavolo nero with bacon and chestnuts.  That was preceeded by smoked salmon blinis - one of Mr Vitty's favourites.

Pudding provided the ideal opportunity to get one of my food year resolutions underway with a recipe from the 1974 cookery year - Crepes Suzette.

A '70s Classic

This classic dish of pancakes in a caramelised orange sauce is something I'd never attempted before (or even eaten), but went well after the richness of the pheasant.  Unusually the 1974 recipe called for baking powder to be added to the pancake batter which made them slightly spongy, something I don't think I'll be doing in the future.  The sauce could have been a little more caramelised but the sweet, orangey, slightly alcoholic juice soaked into the pancakes. I'd forgotten to buy the lemons needed to make the sauce slightly sharper, but the creme fraiche helped balance the sugariness.

Pancakes, butter, oranges, alcohol

Pancakes soaking up the buttery, orangey juices

Crepes Suzette
 
100g Plain Flour
2 Eggs
300 ml Milk
Pinch of Salt
50 g Sugar
Juice of 2 oranges
Juice of half a lemon
2-4 Tablespoons of Grand Marnier
25 g Butter

Make the pancakes by whisking together the flour, salt, eggs and milk into a smooth batter.  Allow to stand for 30 minutes or leave in the fridge until you need it.  Cook the pancakes in a large frying pan with a little butter and layer with greaseproof paper to prevent them sticking together.

Put the sugar in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat and leave to caramelise, resisting the temptation to stir the sugar until it begins to melt at the edges.  When the sugar is golden brown stir in the orange and lemon juice.  Allow to reduce a little and then add the Grand Marnier.  Burn off the alcohol.  Add the butter in small lumps and allow the sauce to thicken slightly. Fold the pancakes into quarters and put them in the pan in the syrup, turning them over so they are coated in they syrupy sauce.  Add some orange segments and allow the pancakes to warm through before serving with creme fraice or cream.