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05/06/2011 National Crepes Suzette Day Gordon Ramsay’s Crepe Suzette

Source of Recipe

Hillary Short


Recipe Introduction

Ironic that one of the most famous crepe dishes -- which flambés and fuses zest with butter and Grand Marnier -- was created in error, when waiter Henri Charpentier was attempting to prepare a dessert for the Prince of Wales in 1895 at Monte Carlo's Café de Paris. Confessed Charpentier, "It was quite by accident as I worked in front of a chafing dish that the cordials caught fire. I thought I was ruined... [But] it was, I thought, the most delicious melody of sweet flavors I had ever tasted." Experience them yourself with this classic recipe, upon which commented Charpentier, "Thus was born and baptized this confection, one taste of which, I really believe, would reform a cannibal into a civilized gentleman." Slash Food

List of Ingredients

HOME COOKIN’ 05/06/2011 National Crepes Suzette Day Gordon Ramsay’s Crepe Suzette


Gordon Ramsay’s Crepe Suzette


For the crêpes:

125g plain flour
¼ tsp fine sea salt
2 medium eggs, beaten
1 tbsp melted butter
300ml milk
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges (see below)

For the sauce:

3 large oranges – for zest, segmenting and juice
50g caster sugar
100ml Grand Marnier or Cointreau
Few knobs of unsalted butter



Recipe


How to make crêpes suzette

1. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Tip in the beaten eggs, butter, milk and orange zest. Whisk the ingredients just enough to combine into a smooth batter but try not to overwork the batter. Leave to rest while you prepare the oranges.

2. To segment the oranges use a small sharp knife to slice off the top and bottom of the fruit. Stand the orange firmly on the chopping board, cut along the curved sides of the fruit to remove the remaining peel and pith. Holding the orange with one hand over a sieve set on top of a bowl, cut along each side of the membranes to release the segments. Let each segment fall into the sieve as you continue segmenting. Remove any membrane or pips left on the segments. Reserve the orange juice.
Gordon video: The perfect caramel

3. Slowly heat the sugar in a heavy-based pan, stirring a little to help the sugar dissolve. Simmer until the syrup forms a light caramel. Carefully add the Grand Marnier and stand back as it will spit. Tip the pan slightly to flambé the alcohol, if you wish. Pour in the orange juice and boil until reduced by half. Remove from heat, tip in the orange segments and keep warm.

4. Heat a non-stick crêpe pan with a knob of butter over medium heat. Swirl the butter to evenly coat the pan, then add a small ladleful of batter and swirl again to evenly coat the base of the pan with a thin layer of batter. Cook for about 1½ minutes until the batter is set and golden brown underneath. Flip over to cook the other side for a minute. Transfer to a warm plate, keep wrapped in a tea towel and repeat with the rest of the batter.

5. For each individual serving, fold two crêpes into quarters. Spoon over a little of the orange sauce making sure to include some segments. Serve immediately.