THE SUNDAY COOK Crêpes suzette METHOD

*** SERVES SIX TO EIGHT

To make the crêpe batter, sift the flour with a pinch of salt into a large bowl and add the sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten eggs. Gradually add the milk, whisking all the time until incorporated, then finally the melted butter. Whisk until you have a smooth mixture, making sure all the flour has been incorporated, and leave to rest for at least an hour. Use a flat frying pan to cook the crêpes. Set it over a medium heat and “season” it by adding a touch of oil and spreading it with kitchen paper over the pan. When the pan is hot, add a ladleful of the crêpe mixture and cook the first pancake – this will be your test, to check that the pan is the right temperature. The first I tend to throw away, but they will get better as you do them! Tip the pan and swirl the batter out to cover the base, making it as thin as you can. Cook until the underside is golden brown, about two to three minutes – you can check with a palette knife. Flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds. Slide the crêpe on to a plate. Use oiled kitchen paper to smear the pan again each time you cook a crêpe, and repeat the process until all the batter has been used. Stack the pancakes on a plate as you go. Set a large frying pan (large enough to hold all the crêpes once folded into quarters) over a low heat. Add the sugar and butter for the sauce and allow them to cook together until they emulsify and start to caramelise. Add the zests and juices and allow them to bubble for five minutes until you have a nice thick sauce. Add a crêpe to the pan, warming it through and making sure it gets covered with the sauce. Fold it in half, then in half again, so you have a triangle, then move it to the edge of the pan.

Repeat this process with each crêpe (you can pile them on top of each other to fit in the pan).

To flame the pan, heat the alcohol in a separate pan and pour it over the crêpes to set alight.

When the flames have disappeared, serve immediately.

Sunday 3 February 2019