Food Holidays: May 6th, 2021

Welcome to National Crêpe Suzette Day which is a typical French dessert. Crêpe Suzette were invented for the Brits! Have you ever had Crêpe Suzette because I haven’t and neither has Charlie. As for David I think he has but I am not 1000% sure.

A French Dessert Crepe Suzette consists of fresh Crepes and sauce of Butter, Sugar, Orange Juice, zest and liquor like Grand Marnier or Orange Curacao. How does that sound/?

The ingredients for the sauce are put on top of the Crepes and then served flambe. The ignition of Crepes makes the dramatic presentation (by the way, the dessert is made in front of the customers) and also results in evaporating of alcohol. The thick sweet sauce covers the Crepes, so you can enjoy your dessert.

Crepe Suzette was invented by Henri Carpentier, head waiter at the Café de Paris in Monte-Carlo. He prepared a special Crepes at the tableside for the future Kind Edward VII.

He Flambéed Crepes, covered in sauce of Orange Juice, Orange zest and Orange Liquor. The Prince named the Crepes after his lady friend, Suzette.

Sometimes this story is disputed, because Henri Carpentier couldn’t make the dish, because he was just a 14-year old waiter assistant, but not maître d’hôtel. A assistant couldn’t serve the Prince instead of the head waiter, because he would have been too young.

No matter what’s the story, you can celebrate this Holiday at the nearby French restaurant. Order Crepes Suzette to try this unusual dessert.

Five facts Crepe Suzette

1. The most common way to make Crêpe Suzette is to pour liqueur (usually Grand Marnier) over a freshly-cooked Crêpe with Sugar and light it.
2. This will make the alcohol in the liqueur evaporate, resulting in a fairly thick, caramelised sauce. In a restaurant, a Crêpe Suzette is often prepared in a chafing dish in full view of the guests.
3. The origin of the dish and its name is somewhat disputed. One claim is that the dish was created out of a mistake made by a fourteen year-old assistant waiter Henri Charpentier in 1895 at the Maitre at Monte Carlo’s Café de Paris. He was preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom, whose guests included a beautiful French girl named Suzette.
4. Different sources (like the Larousse Gastronomique) however doubt that Charpentier was serving the prince instead of the head waiter because he would have been too young.
5. Other claims states Crêpes Suzette were named in honor of French actress Suzanne Reichenberg (1853–1924), who worked professionally under the name Suzette.

Recipe for Crepe Suzette

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon orange zest

1/2 cup clarified butter

Sauce:

1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

2 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

3 oranges, peeled and sectioned

1. Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the milk, orange liqueur, vanilla, and orange zest and flour until combined. If the mixture is too thick, add the remaining milk until a thin consistency is achieved. Cover and refrigerate batter for 30 minutes.
2. Heat an 8-inch crepe pan or skillet over medium heat for about 1 minute. Cover the surface of the pan with clarified butter until it gets sizzling hot. Ladle some batter onto the middle of the crepe pan and immediately start swirling the pan to distribute the batter over the surface. Cook for 45 to 60 seconds or until lightly golden brown. Flip over and cook the other side for 20 seconds. Remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.

Sauce:

1. In a large skillet over high heat, bring the orange juice to a boil. Add the sugar and zest, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the sugar has melted and the mixture is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the orange liqueur and orange sections. Set aside.
2. Working in batches, gently place a crepe into the pan holding the orange juice and orange sections. Leave for 1 minute to absorb some juice. Using a narrow spatula, remove the crepe to a warm serving plate. Repeat with remaining crepes. Roll the crepes into a cylinder. Spoon on some of the orange sections. Serve 2 crepes per person. Top with vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates