POIRES ROTIES AU
CARAMEL DE FRUITS SECS

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Roast Pears with Nut Caramel Sauce (Flora Mikula, Les Olivades)

4 pears (such as doyenné-du-comice, beurré-Hardy or other juicy pears), peeled

3 cinnamon sticks

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise 6½ oz (200 g) acacia honey

Juice of 1 lemon

6½ oz (200 g) sugar

2 cups (500 ml) heavy (double) cream

8 oz (250 g) nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pistachios)

Orange Flower Ice Cream

1 cup (250 ml) milk

1 cup (250 ml) heavy (double) cream

3½ oz (100 g) sugar

5 egg yolks

⅓ cup (100 ml) orange flower water

Start by making the orange flower ice cream. Heat the milk and the cream but remove from heat as soon as it comes to a boil. Beat the sugar and egg yolks until the mixture thickens and becomes pale. Gradually add the warm milk and cream, whisk thoroughly then pour the mixture back into the saucepan, heat over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until thickened like custard. If the cream curdles, pour it into a blender or liquidizer and process until smooth. Remove from heat and cool. Mix the orange flower water into the cooled cream, and pour into your ice cream maker, following the manufacturer's instructions. If you do not have an ice cream maker, buy vanilla or cinnamon ice cream of excellent quality.

Preheat oven to 410°F (210°C, gas mark 6½). Place the pears in a deep baking pan with the cinnamon and the vanilla bean. Pour the honey and lemon juice over the pears, add boiling water to half the height of the baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. The pears should be cooked but firm. Turn off oven, leaving the pears inside.

Just before serving, pour the sugar into a large saucepan and add a little water. Over high heat, melt the sugar until you obtain a golden brown caramel.

While making the caramel, bring the cream to a boil. When the caramel is ready, add the hot cream, in small batches, stirring vigorously. Don't worry about the boiling witches' cauldron, it looks alarming but will soon die down. Add the nuts and cook 5 minutes at a simmer.

Drain the pears, place in soup plates, cover with nut sauce and serve this voluptuous dessert with the ice cream. Accompany with a glass of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise.

FINANCIER TIEDE AUX POIRES, CREME A LA CHICOREE

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Warm Pear Financier Cakes with Chicory Custard (Christian Etchebest, Le Troquet)

4 cups (1 liter) water

1¾ cups (400 g) sugar

3 tender-fleshed pears (such as doyenné-du-comice, beurré-Hardy or Williams), peeled

⅔ cup (135 g) butter

3 egg whites

½ cup (75 g) ground almonds

⅔ cup (75 g) flour

1 tablespoon confectioners' (icing) sugar

¾ cup (200 ml) heavy (double) cream, refrigerated

1 tablespoon liquid chicory (substitute with strong coffee)

Place the cream, the bowl and beaters for whipping the cream in the refrigerator.

In a saucepan, bring 1 liter of water to a boil with scant 1 cup (200 g) of the sugar. Drop the pears into the boiling syrup. Simmer 15 minutes, then leave to cool in the syrup.

Half an hour before mealtime, give your attention to the financiers, which will be served warm. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6). Butter a non-stick baking sheet with ½ tablespoon butter. Melt the rest of the butter over very low heat. In a bowl, lightly whip the egg whites with a hand whisk, add ¾ cup (180 g) of the sugar, ground almonds, flour, and finally the melted butter. Place four 3-in (8-cm) baking rings on the baking sheet and fill with the batter. If you don't have any baking rings, substitute with 4 small round non-stick pans, no larger than 4-in (10-cm) in diameter.

Drain the pears. Cut each one into 8 wedges, remove the core, and arrange 6 slices in a flower on top of each financier. Place into the oven for 12 minutes and, 2 minutes before they are done, sprinkle with confectioners' (icing) sugar, which will make the cakes exquisitely golden. Remove the circles or unmold, and place in the center of a dessert plate, pear side up.

At the last minute, whip the cream (see page 37), add the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar half way through and the chicory, place a large dollop (use a soup spoon rinsed under hot water) on each cake. Serve immediately with a glass of sweet Jurançon.

PAIN PERDU AUX POMMES

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Apple Bread Puddding (Philippe Tredgeu, Chez Casimir)

3 eggs

1 cup (250 ml) milk

¾ cup (175 g) sugar

Seeds of 1 vanilla bean (see Helpful hint)

4 thick slices sourdough bread, stale or fresh

2 large apples, juicy and flavorful (such as el-stars or goldens)

½ cup (100 g) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons crème fraîche

In a bowl whisk together eggs, milk, ⅓ cup (75 g) of the sugar, and the vanilla seeds. Place the slices of bread in one layer, in a shallow dish into which they fit snugly then cover with the liquid. Leave the bread to soak for about 2 hours.

One hour before mealtime, preheat oven to 300°F (150°C, gas mark 2). Wash, dry, and cut the apples into 8 slices, remove the core but not the skin and place the 16 wedges in a baking dish that can also be heated over a flame. Pour the rest of the sugar into a small saucepan, and wet with a few spoonfuls of water. Cook over high heat, until it forms a golden caramel. Pour the boiling caramel over the apples then bake for 20 minutes. Turn the slices over three times, very carefully, so as not to break them. Watch them closely. They should look candied but not burnt. Add a little water during cooking, if needed. Remove the dish from the oven and leave to cool to room temperature.

When you are ready to serve the dessert, heat the butter over medium heat until it sizzles (the French say it "sings"). Pick up the slices of bread with a slotted spatula, drain slightly, and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden.

Place the bread in the center of the dessert plates and discard any remaining butter. Arrange the apple slices on the bread. Place the baking dish over high heat, add the cream and scrape gently with a wooden spoon to detach all the baked on juices. Stir well and pour a little sauce around each pudding.

Enjoy this marvelous dessert immediately. It has satisfied the poor since time immemorial, even if it is usually served, as you can well imagine, in a much simpler form. Accompany with a glass of Côteaux-du-Layon.

Helpful hints: Remove the seeds of the vanilla bean by splitting it lengthways and scraping out the seeds with the side of a knife. Keep the husk of the bean in a jar of sugar to flavor it, if desired. Accompany with a glass of Côteaux-du-Layon.

CHAUD-FROID DE FRUITS ROUGES PARFUME

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Summer Fruit Gratin (Stéphane Baron, Le Zéphyr)

4 egg yolks

Scant ½ cup (100 g) sugar

4 tablespoons sweet white wine (substitute with water)

Your choice of flavoring: a pinch of dried lavander flowers, or a few drops of lavender extract; or 1 teaspoon rose flower water or berry flavored spirits; or the seeds from a vanilla bean

2 cups (500 ml) heavy (double) cream, refrigerated

½ cup (50 g) + 1 tablespoon confectioners' (icing) sugar

1 kg (500 g) summer berries, preferably 8 oz (250 g) strawberries, 4 oz (125 g) raspberries, blackberries or blueberries, and 4 oz (125 g) red or black currants

An hour before sitting down to dinner, make the sabayon. You have no idea how easy it is! Place the cream, the bowl and beaters for the whipped cream in the refrigerator. Partially fill the sink with cold water and ice cubes. In the non-reactive top of a double-boiler over simmering water, beat the yolks, sugar, and wine (or water) with a whisk or electric beaters. The result will be a pale mousse, airy and compact at the same time. Remove from the heat as soon as it has thickened, move to the sink and continue beating until completely cooled. Add the flavor of your choice. Whip the cream (see page 37), adding the confectioners' sugar when it starts to form peaks. Gently fold it into the sabayon and reserve in the refrigerator.

Wash and dry the berries then arrange in four ovenproof soup plates or other shallow individual baking dishes. Just before serving, light the broiler (grill). Pour the sabayon over the berries, sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, then place in oven just a few instants to brown. Serve immediately.

This dessert is even tastier with an acidic sorbet, like apricot or lemon, which will provide a fine contrast of flavor. Accompany with a glass of Gewurztraminer or a late harvest Riesling.

SOUPE DE FRAISES/GLACE AUX HERBES

Strawberry Soup with Herb Ice Cream (Catherine Guerraz, Chez Catherine)

This dessert is best prepared the night before, or the morning of the dinner. Serves 6

2 cups (500 ml) red wine, preferably a Bordeaux

¾ cup (160 g) sugar

6 green peppercorns

1 tea bag

2 lb (1 kg) strawberries, washed and stemmed

Ice cream

½ cup (250 ml) milk

½ cup (250 ml) heavy (double) cream

8 egg yolks (use the whites to make a panna cotta on page 132)

Scant ½ cup (100 g) sugar

8 sprigs of basil, chervil, and dill, washed and patted dry

Start with the ice cream. Reserve a few herb leaves to garnish then place the rest in the freezer for 20 minutes before chopping finely. Heat the milk and the cream in a saucepan. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, beat yolks and sugar until they become pale and thick. Gradually add the slightly cooled creamy milk, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Return to saucepan over low heat, still stirring, and cook until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (don't worry if the mixture curdles). Process in a blender or liquidizer until smooth. Remove from heat, add the herbs, and leave to cool. Then pour into an ice cream maker, and follow the manufacturer's instructions. If you do not have an ie cream maker, buy a good vanilla ice cream. In either case, remember to move the ice cream from the freezer to the refrigerator when sitting down to dinner, so that it will reach the ideal consistency by serving time.

Nothing could be simpler than the soup, but it does require a little bit of time. Heat the wine with the sugar, pepper, and tea bag. Simmer until reduced and slightly syrupy, about 30 minutes.

Add the strawberries to the syrup and simmer for 3 minutes. Discard the tea bag, pour the soup into a bowl and leave to cool, then chill in the refrigerator until serving. When ready, serve the soup in soup plates, top with a scoop of ice cream (shaped with a spoon dipped in hot water). Decorate this very old-fashioned dessert with the reserved herbs. A chilled muscat along side would be nothing less than enchanting.

CLAFOUTIS AUX FRUITS D'ETE

Summer Fruit Clafoutis (André Signoret, Le Train Bleu)

Scant ½ cup (50 g) flour

¼ cup (60 g) granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon superfine (caster) sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups (500 ml) whole milk

1 small glass kirsch

⅓ cup (60 g) butter

1 lb (500 g) very ripe fruit (such as apricots from the Roussillon or plump black cherries)

Make the batter 1 hour before cooking as it needs time to rest. In a mixing bowl, mix flour and granulated sugar then, using a wooden spoon, very thoroughly mix in the eggs, oil, and milk in thirds, and the kirsch. Set aside (at kitchen room temperature).

One hour later, butter a 2-in (5-cm) high earthenware dish with half the butter and preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C, gas mark 4). Wash and dry the fruits, remove the stems but not the pits (stones) from the cherries, or they will lose their juice, and their flavor, during cooking. For the apricots, split them in half and discard the pit. Place the fruit in the buttered dish, stir the batter that had been resting, pour over the fruit and bake for 45 minutes. Half way through, cut the remaining butter into small pieces and place evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the fine sugar. This will make it even more golden, crisp and appetizing. Enjoy this traditional cake, still warm from the oven. You will never tire of it, served with a glass of chilled dry white wine.

MELI-MELO D'AGRUMES

Citrus Tutti Frutti
(Benoît Chagny, A & M Le Bistrot)

5 oranges

Seeds of 2 vanilla beans (see page 126)

A few thyme buds

A few sprigs of mint

3 pink grapefruit

Extract the juice of 1 orange. Wash the other 4 and remove all of their zest with a zester. Mix the zests, juice, vanilla seeds, thyme, and a few finely chopped mint leaves.

With a sharp paring knife, remove the peel and membrane from the oranges and grapefruit, carefully separating into sections. Add the extra juices to the seasoned mixture. Arrange the fruit attractively in shallow bowls, cover with juice and serve very well chilled, after leaving it to marinate in the refrigerator.

If you have some vanilla ice cream, a small scoop on top of each bowl would be very pretty, topped with half a vanilla bean and garnished with a little mint. Almond tuiles (see page 130) and a Corsican muscat will bring you to perfection.

MINESTRONE DE FRUITS EXOTIQUES AU GINGEMBRE

Tropical Fruit Minestrone with Ginger (Patrice Contrand, Marty)

Prepare this dessert the night "before or in the morning for an evening meal.

1 small piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

⅔ cup (150 g) sugar

2 cups (500 ml) water

1 small Victoria (or other) pineapple (leaves on top should detach easily when ripe), peeled and cut into small cubes

2 very ripe kiwis, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 very ripe but firm mango, peeled and cut into small cubes

Citrus sorbet

Juice of 1 large yellow grapefruit

Juice of 2 large oranges

Juice of 3 or 4 plump lemons

Scant ½ cup (100 g) sugar

⅓ cup (100 ml) water

Start by making the citrus sorbet. Bring the juices, sugar, and water to a boil. Cool, and place in an ice cream maker, following the manufacturers' instructions. If you do not have an ice cream maker, buy an orange, grapefruit, or lemon sorbet. Place the ginger in a saucepan. Add the sugar and water, bring to a rolling boil, remove from heat and infuse 10 minutes, then strain and chill the syrup. Combine cubed fruit and syrup and marinate in the refrigerator. Serve in shallow dishes with a scoop of ice cream in the middle of the "minestrone." The taste and lightness are perfect. A late harvest Gewurztraminer will only add to your pleasure.

TARTE FINE CHAUDE AUX POMMES

Hot Apple Tartlets (Andre Cellier, Brasserie Mollard)

4 plump reinette apples, peeled, quartered and cored, each quarter cut in two (to yield 32 chunks)

⅔ cup (150 g) sugar

1 package best quality puff pastry, about 8-10 oz (250-300 g)

4 golden apples

¼ cup (50 g) butter

Place the 32 reinette apple chunks in a saucepan with scant ½ cup (100 g) of the sugar and a little water. Cook the apples until they form a thick apple sauce, mashing any large lumps with the back of a fork.

An hour or so before serving the dessert, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6). Roll out the pastry as thinly as possible on a dry, clean work surface. Using a dessert plate as a guide, cut out 4 bases with a sharp paring knife. Cover a baking sheet with baking parchment, place the pastry bases on it, cover each one with a thin layer of apple sauce. Peel the goldens and cut each in half. Flat side down, cut each half into very thin slices and arrange them in a flower pattern on each tart. Spinkle with the rest of the sugar and the butter. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops and the pastry are golden. Serve this marvelous classic hot, accompanied by a sweet wine. With, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it becomes a tart a la mode but, to some, doing so makes it too rich.

LATTE COTTO ET SES TUILES AUX AMANDES

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Panna Cotta and Almond Wafers (Philippe Tredgeu, Chez Casimir)

1½ cups (375 ml) whole milk

½ cup (125 g) heavy (double) cream

Scant ½ cup (100 g) sugar

Grated zest of 2 lemons or limes

Seeds of 1 vanilla bean (see Helpful hint, page 126)

5 egg whites, lightly whisked

Wafers

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

⅓ cup (75 g) butter, melted

½ cup (50 g) flour, sifted

½ cup (75 g) blanched almonds, chopped

Scant ⅔ cup (125 g) sugar

A few hours before mealtime, make the batter for the tuiles (wafers). In a mixing bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, butter, flour, almonds, and sugar. Mix thoroughly then reserve in the refrigerator to firm up somewhat.

Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C, gas mark ½). In a saucepan, with a wooden spoon, mix together milk, cream, sugar, lemon or lime zests, and vanilla seeds. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. Pour the mixture through a sieve or chinois, onto the whisked egg. Mix well, strain again, and pour into 4 shallow ceramic or earthenware ramekins or ovenproof soup plates that hold about 1 cup (250 ml) liquid. Bake for 30 to 45 mintues. They should be set, but the cream should still jiggle when shaken gently. Cool to room temperature.

Just before sitting down to dinner, make the tuiles. (They can actually be made up to two days in advance, but are infinitely better fresh.) Preheat the oven to 500°F (250°C, gas mark 10). If you do not have a non-stick baking sheet, wipe yours with a little oil on a paper towel. Drop 1 teaspoonful of batter on sheet, flatten slightly with the back of the spoon, and continue, leaving space between to allow for spreading. Slip tray into the oven for 4 to 5 minutes until the tuiles are golden.

Remove and allow to cool 1 minute, lift each tuile with a spatula and quickly place it on any cylindrical object at hand (bottle, rolling pin) to form a curved shape. The contrast of creaminess and crispiness is nothing but suave. Try accompanying this dessert with a glass of Champagne.

POTS VANILLE ET CHOCOLAT, MADELEINES A'LANIS

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Vanilla and Chocolate Creams with Anise Madeleines
(Christian Etchebest, Le Troquet)

Vanilla and Chocolate Creams

4 cups (1 liter) whole milk

2 whole eggs, plus 8 yolks (10 eggs total)

Scant 1 cup (200 g) sugar

1 vanilla bean from Tahiti, or 2 standard "bourbon" vanilla beans

¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

Madeleines (small French cakes)

2 eggs

Scant ⅔ cup (125 g) sugar

⅓ cup (100 ml) milk

1⅔ cups (200 g) flour

1 level teaspoon baking powder

½ cup (100 g) butter, melted + ½ tablespoon butter at room temperature

½ teaspoon ground aniseseed

2 tablespoons confectioners' (icing) sugar, if desired

Make the creams in advance, so that they will have time to cool. Bring half the milk to a boil, with the split vanillabean(s), remove from heat and set aside to infuse. Meanwhile beat 1 whole egg, 4 egg yolks, and half the sugar, until it starts to whiten. Scrape out the seeds from the beans, add to the milk, discard the bean, then gradually pour milk into the eggs, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Strain mixture through a sieve or chinois and fill 6 ovenproof clay pots or 6 ramekins. Repeat exactly the same process with the remaining ingredients, replacing the vanilla with the cocoa powder.

Heat the oven to 200°F (100°C, gas mark ½), or as close as you can get Place the pots in a baking pan, pour hot water around them, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The water should not boil. If it does, add a little cold water. The cream should set, but still be soft enough to tremble when lightly shaken. To check, insert a knife; the blade should come out wet, but clean. Cool to room temperature.

Make the madeleines just before the meal, as they're at their best when they are still warm. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C, gas mark 7). In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and the sugar, then add the milk, then the flour and baking powder sifted together, the melted butter, and the aniseseed. With the remaining butter, grease 2 non-stick madeleine pans (scalloped-shaped pans). Fill the molds (preferably small) and bake for 7 to 8 minutes. They should rise and be golden. Unmold while still warm onto a wire rack.

To serve, place one vanilla and one chocolate cream on each plate, along with three or four madeleines, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar if desired. Accompany with a Jurançon doux.

FONDANT AU CHOCOLAT,
SAUCE AU CARAMEL DEMI-SEL

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Chocolate Fudge Cake with Salt Toffee Sauce (Catherine Guerraz, Chez Catherine)

4 squares (4 oz/120 g) dark chocolate (minimum 55% cocoa)

¾ cup (150 g) butter (use ½ tablespoon of this to grease the dishes)

4 eggs

⅔ cup (150 g) sugar

½ cup (60 g) flour, sifted

Salt toffee sauce

⅔ cup (150 g) sugar

Juice of half a lemon

¼ cup (50 g) salted butter

⅓ cup (100 g) heavy (double) cream

Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler. Meanwhile, beat together the eggs and sugar until it begins to rise and become pale. Add the flour, then the melted butter and chocolate, mixing well after each addition. Butter 6 individual souffle dishes, about 3-in (8-cm) across and 2½-in (6-cm) high, and fill to within ½-in (1-cm) from the top. If you do not have individual molds, a small casserole dish will suffice. Chill to set slightly.

Use this time to make the Salt Toffee Sauce. In a saucepan, cook the sugar with a small quantity of water, and make a golden caramel. Add the lemon juice, stir thoroughly, add the butter, stir again until it is melted, then add the cream, still stirring constantly. Pour this amber liquid into a bowl, cool to room temperature then reserve in the refrigerator.

Half an hour before serving, finish the cakes. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C, gas mark 6). Bake 12 minutes for the small molds, 20 minutes for a larger dish. The top should be solid. Leave to rest a few minutes, then unmold onto plates, and draw a ring of sauce around them.

This rich, incredibly suave dessert, would be a regal ending to a light meal. Try serving a Rivesaltes or vintage port.

GATEAU DE RIZ, CREME ANGLAISE

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Rice Pudding with Custard (Patrick Rayer, La Rôtisserie du Beaujolais)

Make this cake several days before serving and only prepare the custard on the day of the meal iteslf.

¾ cup (150 g) short grain rice, preferably Arborio

3 cups (750 ml) whole milk

1 vanilla bean, split

Sacnt 1½ cups (300 g) sugar

5 oz (150 g) candied fruit (or mixed peel), diced small, or golden raisins (sultanas), soaked in cold water

Pinch table salt

Custard

1 cup (250 ml) whole milk

1 vanilla bean, split

4 egg yolks

5 teaspoons sugar

Boil the rice for 3 minutes in a large quantity of water. Drain. Bring the milk to a boil with the salt and the split vanilla bean, then add the rice and cook, barely simmering, until the milk has completely evaporated, about 45 minutes. Stir gently from time to time, to prevent the rice from sticking.

Put half the sugar in a saucepan, moisten with a little water, and cook without stirring to make a dark caramel. Pour it immediately into a 8-in (20-cm) non-stick loaf pan, and quickly but carefully tilt in all directions to coat the sides. Preheat oven to 360°F (180°C, gas mark 4).

Carefully mix the rice, the remaining sugar, and the fruit and pour into the pan. Place in a baking tray, filled with boiling water and bake for approximately 30 minutes, until the top browns. Cool, then store in refrigerator.

The day the dish is to be served, make the Custard Sauce. Heat the milk with the split vanilla bean, remove from heat as soon as it boils, let infuse and cool slightly. Beat the yolks and the sugar until they become thick and pale. Scrape out the vailla beans, add to the milk, discard bean. Very gradually, stir the milk into the eggs, return mixture to the saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat, pour into bowl and cool. If you cook it too long and it curdles, process in a blender or liquidizer until smooth and thick.

To serve, briefly dip the pan into boiling water, unmold and cut the pudding into thin slices. Each diner will pour his or her own custard while emitting loud sighs of contentment. Accompany with a Jurançon moëlleux.

CREPES SUZETTE AU GRAND MARNIER

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Crepes Suzette with Grand Marnier (Andre Cellier, Brasserie Mollard)

Scant 2 cups (200 g) flour, sifted

5 teaspoons sugar

Large pinch salt

2 eggs

2 cups (500 ml) whole milk

1 tablespoon peanut oil or melted butter, plus a little extra for the pan

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (or failing that, rum)

Sauce

½ cup (100 g) butter

Scant ½ cup (100 g) sugar

1 orange and 1 lemon

4 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Make the batter the night before cooking, or the morning of the dinner, as it needs to rest for several hours in the refrigerator before being used. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk in the eggs, then the milk, oil (or butter), and finally the spirits. Cover and chill.

A few minutes before mealtime, rouse the batter with a little whisking, and make the crepes (pancakes). Using a paper towel, grease a 10-in (25-cm) crepe pan with a little oil. Place the pan over high heat, and when hot, pour a small ladleful of "batter, tilt the pan to coat completely, cook the first side until golden then turn it over with a spatula (if you are a beginner) or by flipping it into the air with a flick of the wrist (if you have had practice). You should make about 10 crepes. Reserve, stacked on a plate.

When ready to serve, fold the crepes into quarters. In a frying pan of chafing dish, make the sauce. Melt the butter and sugar and cook over moderate heat until a golden caramel forms. While they are cooking, wash and dry the orange and lemon, remove their zest and extract the juice of the whole orange but only half the lemon.

When the caramel is ready, stop the cooking process by adding the lemon juice, then add the zests, stirring briefly.

Pour in orange juice and stir again, place the crepes in the sauce so they absorb liquid while reheating. When the sauce becomes a thick syrup, pour in the Grand Marinier and carefully set alight to flambé, while gently shaking the pan, so that the burning alcohol covers the crepes uniformly. Place two crepes on each plate, top with a little syrup and serve this great classic as it is presented in Parisian brasseries where traditions live on, piping hot. Accompany with a glass of Champagne.