Kitchen classic: Prepare crêpes Suzette

Saveur editor in chief Jim Oseland makes the classic French dish

Video: A taste of France: Cooking up classic crepes suzette

Closed captioning of: A taste of France: Cooking up classic crepes suzette

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>>> this morning on "today's" kitchen, back to basics, the editors have compiled their most classic recipes. a judge at bravo's top chef masters. good morning, james.

>> good morning.

>> congratulations, 150 issues.

>> yes.

>> quite an accomplishment. how do you decide what the classics are after so many issues?

>> you know, a real classic just absolutely stands the test of time. it's a perfect dish that doesn't need any tricking out. it's just a fantastic food.

>> very good.

>> and crepes, just one of the best classics in the world.

>> what's in the flour mix?

>> it's a very easy batter, a bunch of eggs and a little bit of flour, cream, and milk. and in a teflon pan, the making of crepes is as easy as pancakes.

>> very thin pancakes.

>> very, very thin pancakes.

>> nice and runny.

>> after about two minutes or so when a crepe is a bit dry on top no longer bubbly, you simply flip it and no crazy cheffy pyrotechnics needed.

>> the key is a really nicely buttered teflon pan too, right?

>> exactly.

>> what are you going to make as a sauce?

>> the real key is this gorgeous sauce which is butter and lemon.

>> lots of butter.

>> and orange zest and a few y licquors, and you let that bubble around a bit. and what you're going to be doing -- doesn't it smell delicious? then what you're going to be doing is basically taking each crepe and one-by-one in your final serving pan --

>> yeah.

>> dipping them into the batter, folding them into halves and then into quarters and you're fanning them around the pan like so.

>> that looks beautiful.

>> sprinkling a bit of sugar on top. and then lastly, more alcohol.

>> we're liking this recipe a lot.

>> no problems there.

>> and lastly --

>> oh, you torch it. stand back.

>> stand back, but it's not insane, it's not an insane explosion. in fact, all you're really going to get is sort of a low --

>> like a low flame, you can barely see it on the top.

>> what that's doing, it's softening the taste of the alcohol and also --

>> this is served up, right?

>> please, have a taste.

>> we will, we will.

>> and tell us about some of the classic foods you've brought us up front as i try this. that's amazing, al.

>> hi, how are you? it's basically mashed potatoes heavily spiced inside this fried dumpling. it's delicious cilantro -- green beans from china.

>> i made that. it's so good. and this pasta?

>> sauteed vegetables and a little cream, delicious.

>> and the sweet potato pie .

>> sweet potato pie , baked alaska . one of the most absurd and delicious dishes ever.

Show transcript

TODAY recipes

updated 10/4/2012 9:40:37 AM ET

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Whether you're looking for a special meal for your next dinner party or something healthy and quick for the kids, the editors at Saveur magazine have done all the work for you! Here editor in chief Jim Oseland makes a recipe for crêpes Suzette from the magazine's 150th issue.

Recipe: Crêpes Suzette (on this page)

Check out all 150 classic recipes from this month's issue at Saveur.

Recipe: Crêpes Suzette

Courtesy of Saveur

Ingredients

6 eggs
6 tbsp. flour
6 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. heavy cream
8 tbsp. butter, plus 4 tbsp. melted for making crepes
1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tbsp. sugar
Juice and zest of 1 large orange
7 tbsp. Cointreau
1 tbsp. kirsch
1 tsp. orange flower water
5 tbsp. cognac

Preparation

1. Place eggs in a medium bowl and beat well with a whisk. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Mix in milk and cream and pour through a fine mesh strainer into another bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let batter rest in the refrigerator 2 hours up to overnight.

2. Make the crepes: heat a 10" non-stick skillet over medium heat. Brush skillet with some melted butter. Pour about 1/4 cup batter in skillet and tilting skillet, swirl batter until it coats the bottom. Cook, flipping once until crepe is firm and cooked through, but not browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer crepe to a plate and repeat with remaining batter brushing the skillet each time with melted butter.

3. Melt 8 tbsp butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in ½cup sugar, juice and zest, 5 tbsp Cointreau, kirsh and orange flower water and bring to a simmer. One at a time, dip a crepe into orange sauce, fold in quarters and set to one side of the pan. Repeat with remaining crepes, arranging them in an overlapping pattern around the skillet. Remove from heat, sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp. sugar, pour remaining Cointreau and cognac over crepes and carefully ignite with a match or lighter. Spoon sauce over crepes until flame dies out and serve immediately.

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