Cuisine – Perfecting the crepe

In our rush to embrace the latest trends in food (Korean anyone?) we often overlook recipes that have served us well over the years. Pancakes and pikelets are old favourites that are perennially popular, but crepes take a particular path to reach greater heights.

Over the years, the master recipe for lacy, paper-thin crepes has caused a lot of interesting feedback as making this French classic is all about technique. Getting the batter the correct consistency is really important as for each crepe only a tablespoon is needed. Only one crepe can be cooked at a time as the batter needs to be spooned into the greased frying pan at exactly the right temperature. It should start to cook immediately but the trick is to pick up the pan and swirl the mixture around so it thinly coats the surface of the pan.

A thin palette knife or fish slice is needed to gently lift the crepe and flip it over once the first side is golden. And the crepes need to be stacked on top of each other on a plate as they’re cooked to remain moist.

Once this technique is mastered, the crepe becomes a versatile and beautiful thing. It’s light to eat and can be used for dessert with fruit and ice cream or stuffed with a savoury mixture and covered in cheese to be reheated for a delicious light lunch.

With school and Easter holidays colliding, crepes will be on the menu as a kids’ cooking activity this month. My grandson has the best way of enjoying them. He simply slathers them with caster sugar and squeezes fresh lemon juice over. Excellent.

The guava season has started and a reader stopped me in the farmers market to share an exciting guava gin recipe. I will be trying that out in the next week or two, but meanwhile I am adding the first of my abundant guava crop to autumn’s apples to stew gently. The aroma of the two cooking together fills the house and the flavour is fabulous. Try it if you have backyard guavas.

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Crepes with apple, guava and maple syrup

For the crepes

125g flour
1 egg, plus an extra yolk
300ml milk
1 tbsp melted butter
For frying: 4 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp melted butter

Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Drop in the egg and extra yolk and add a little of the milk, stirring gently and drawing the flour in until it is well mixed and smooth. Finally stir in the melted butter. (This can be done in the food processor.) Let the batter rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. It should be the consistency of runny cream.

Heat a 15cm frying pan and grease the surface very lightly with some of the butter and oil mixture, dabbing it in with a paper towel. Put a good tablespoon of the batter into the pan, rolling it round quickly so it coats the surface of the pan completely. Cook over a steady heat for a minute or two until it is golden, then run a palette knife under the crepe and flip it over to cook on the other side. Slide the crepe onto a plate, and repeat, greasing the pan each time and stacking the crepes until you have used all the batter. You should have about 10 or more lacy thin pancakes.

For the filling

3 Granny Smith apples
15 or 20 ripe guavas
2 tbsp sugar
¼ cup water

Peel and slice the apples. Top and tail about 15 guavas, scooping out and discarding as many of the seeds as you can, and place the apple and guavas in a saucepan with two tablespoons sugar and ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about five minutes or until the apples are soft.

To assemble, roll each crepe around two tablespoons of apple mixture, and place on a dessert plate.

Serve with ice cream or yogurt and a splash of maple syrup.

Makes 10 filled crepes.