SERVES 6
To allow for practice, the recipe yields about 16 crêpes; only 12 are needed for the dish. We prefer crêpes made with whole milk, but skim milk or 1 percent or 2 percent low-fat milk can also be used. Before flambéing, be sure to roll up long shirtsleeves, tie back long hair, and turn off the exhaust fan and any lit burners. See the sidebars that follow the recipe.
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CRÊPES |
|
|
1½ |
cups whole milk |
|
1½ |
cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour |
|
3 |
large eggs |
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½ |
cup water |
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5 |
tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for pan |
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3 |
tablespoons sugar |
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2 |
tablespoons cognac |
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½ |
teaspoon salt |
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ORANGE SAUCE |
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|
¼ |
cup cognac |
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1 |
tablespoon finely grated orange zest plus 1¼ cups juice (3 oranges) |
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6 |
tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces |
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¼ |
cup sugar |
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2 |
tablespoons orange liqueur, such as triple sec |
1. FOR THE CRÊPES: Process all ingredients in blender until smooth, about 10 seconds. Transfer to bowl.
2. Brush bottom and sides of 10-inch nonstick skillet lightly with melted butter and heat skillet over medium heat. Pour in scant ¼ cup batter in slow, steady stream, twirling skillet slowly until bottom is evenly covered. Cook crêpe until it starts to lose its opaqueness and turns spotty light golden brown on bottom, 30 seconds to 1 minute, loosening edge with heat-resistant rubber spatula. Gently slide spatula underneath edge of crêpe, grasp edge with your fingertips, and flip crêpe. Cook until dry on second side, about 20 seconds.
3. Transfer cooked crêpe to wire rack, inverting so spotted side is facing up. Return pan to heat, brush pan lightly with butter, and heat for 10 seconds before repeating with remaining batter. As crêpes are done, stack on wire rack. (Cooked crêpes can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days; bring them to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.)
4. FOR THE ORANGE SAUCE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat broiler. Heat 3 tablespoons cognac in 12-inch broiler-safe skillet over medium heat just until warmed through, about 5 seconds. Off heat, wave lit match over pan until cognac ignites, then shake pan to distribute flames.
5. When flames subside, add 1 cup orange juice, butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar and simmer over high heat, stirring occasionally, until many large bubbles appear and mixture reduces to thick syrup, 6 to 8 minutes (you should have just over ½ cup sauce). Transfer sauce to small bowl; do not wash skillet. Stir remaining ¼ cup orange juice, orange zest, orange liqueur, and remaining 1 tablespoon cognac into sauce; cover to keep warm.
6. To assemble, fold each crêpe in half, then fold into quarters. Arrange 9 folded crêpes around edge of now-empty skillet, with rounded edges facing inward, overlapping as necessary to fit. Arrange remaining 3 crêpes in center of pan. Sprinkle crêpes evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Broil until sugar caramelizes and crêpes turn spotty brown, about 5 minutes. (Watch crêpes constantly to prevent scorching; turn pan as necessary.) Carefully remove pan from oven and pour half of sauce over crêpes, leaving some areas uncovered. Transfer crêpes to individual plates and serve immediately, passing extra sauce separately.