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Cr�pes Suzette
Erik Blauberg
of
'21' Club and the Upstairs At '21'
Serves 6
Cr�pes:
2 cups whole milk
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 small eggs
3/4 tablespoon canola oil
2 and 1/4 teaspoons granulated sugar
3/8 teaspoon salt
Vegetable-oil spray
Sauce:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, strained
2 cups fresh tangerine juice, strained (orange can be substituted)
Zest of 2 tangerines, and 1/4 cup segments, roughly chopped
2 cinnamon sticks, halved
6 cloves
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup Grand Marnier
5 tablespoons skinned and coarsely chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup cognac
6 sprigs mint
Cr�pes: Place all ingredients except vegetable-oil spray in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. Set aside to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Heat a small cr�pe pan over medium heat, lightly coat the pan with vegetable-oil spray, and heat for 15 seconds. Pour a scant 1/4 cup batter into the pan, lifting and tilting the pan as you do so to allow the batter to form an even, thin layer. Cook until the cr�pe is lightly brown on the bottom and the top is set; flip over with a spatula or tongs and cook until the second side is golden. Remove the cr�pe from the pan and place on parchment paper. Repeat the procedure with the remaining batter, stacking the cr�pes between parchment paper. There should be 18 in all. When the cr�pes are cool, cover with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. (The cr�pes can be made a day ahead; just set the stack on a plate, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and keep in the refrigerator.)
Sauce: Heat a large saut� pan over medium heat, add the sugar and lemon juice, and stir until the sugar starts to caramelize. Add the tangerine juice, zest, cinnamon, and cloves, and cook for 1 minute, stirring until the sauce is smooth and the caramel has been incorporated. Add the butter in chunks and stir until melted, followed by the Grand Marnier, and continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
Reduce heat to low and add 1 cr�pe to the pan, coat it with the sauce, and sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon hazelnuts. Using tongs, fold into quarters. Move the cr�pe to one side of the pan and repeat the procedure with the remaining cr�pes, stacking them. (If the pan becomes too crowded, transfer some of the cr�pes to a warm platter.) Heat the liquid in the open side of the pan for 15 to 20 seconds, then remove from the burner, add the cognac, and -- standing as far back as possible -- tilt the pan toward the flame to ignite the alcohol. (Use a match if the cognac does not ignite.) Let it burn itself out. Arrange all the cr�pes around the pan. Add the tangerine segments, increase the heat to high, and reduce the sauce for 20 seconds, until it reaches a light, syrupy consistency. (If the sauce thickens too much, add 1 tablespoon water.)
To serve, remove the cinnamon and cloves. Arrange 3 cr�pes on each plate, spoon the sauce over them, and sprinkle with remaining hazelnuts. Garnish with mint leaves.
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