A thin silky pancake that is doused in Grand Marnier (Orange Liqueur) and served with fresh orange segments and a huge helping of Vanilla Ice Cream is what my dream breakfast looks like! Wouldn't it be nice...If you wake up in the morning and stretch as the sunlight fills your room, you take off your eye mask and smell the sweet fragrance of citrus, as you open your eyes, you are presented with a cloche that opens up to a gorgeous plate of Crepe Suzette!! What an ideal thing to eat early morning... Hey, a girl can dream, right?
I don't know who came up with this whole idea of having alcohol and ice cream for breakfast, but whoever it was, Thank you!! It definitely has to be one of the most delicate flavor combinations that I've ever tasted. The first time I tried it was when I was working for a restaurant in Singapore, at the age of 22, I know I may be too late to the game, but I am here to stay in the "I love Crepe Suzette Club". The delicate taste of oranges, the sweetness of the Grand Marnier along with the silkiness of the crepe makes you feel like you're eating something too precious, and so you must savor every single bite of it. The cold ice cream just adds another level of pleasantness to the whole experience.
So the invention of this dish is definitely a dispute, but who cares as long as I get my fair share of it. I always find that people struggle with making crepes especially because the batter is too runny and the flour always clumps up to form lumps in all sizes that are difficult to work with. I have 1 answer to all this chaos. Use your blender! No, do not hand whisk a huge batch with your hands unless you are a professional and are required to do so by the devil. Just add your ingredients to the blender and let it run for about 30 seconds and you'll be done. No need to use a whisk or a spatula or even a bowl I pour my batter directly from the blender and it works just fine with me. I absolutely love making my life super easy while cooking, after all, cooking is meant to be enjoyable :)
Now, let's dive into the recipe, I've blabbered enough!
Recipe:
For the Crepes:
2 tbsp Flour
2 Eggs
4 tbsp Milk
Butter to cook the crepes
For the Sauce:
1 Orange ( Use the Zest and the Juice)
5 tbsp Butter
4 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Grand Marnier
Method:
1. Make the crepe batter using a blender. Add all liquid ingredients and run the blender. While the Blender is running, add flour. Blend for half a minute and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
2. In a pan, caramelize sugar till it is amber in color, don't let it get too much color or the sauce will turn bitter.
3. Deglaze using orange juice. Let it start bubbling, then add orange zest. Set aside.
4. Heat a nonstick pan and add a little bit of butter. Let it melt and swirl it around. Pour 1/4th cup of the batter and swirl again to form a thin layer of the crepe. Let it cook till it gets a little bit of golden brown color and flip. Cook on the other side and once done, fold and take it out into a plate.
5. Once all the crepes are ready and folded, add them to the pan with your caramelized orange juice reduction. Place them neatly and add Grand Marnier. Flambe it by just showing it towards the flame. Let it go for about 30-40 seconds while swirling the pan, and toss if you dare! Don't worry, it will catch fire and that's what you want. It will cook the alcohol and intensify the taste.
6. To stop the flame either take it off the heat or cover with a lid.
7. Serve warm with a side of vanilla ice cream
Image picked up from https://www.thespruceeats.com/crepes-suzette-recipe-1374973