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Proper French Crêpes

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Getting great-tasting, paper-thin French crêpes is possible at home, but only if you get the proper cookware and know how to use it. Let me show you!


If you can't see the video above, click on Proper French Crêpes. The high-definition version is available on Vimeo when you click above.


I also uploaded the same video on Youtube which is perhaps faster.

Many of you wrote me to ask why I didn't post any article for the last two weeks. Be calm, thou blog reader, I didn't fall on my Japanese Knife nor choke on my last piece of Montgomery's Cheddar. In fact, I was working really hard for you guys, but video, my new medium, needs lots of bells, whistles, adapters and cables to produce simple-looking content. But we are getting there, and finally here is an installment some of you have been asking for over a year - how to prepare paper-thin French Crêpes.

My not being Breton, nor a professional crêperie chef will demonstrate, I hope, that anybody can achieve these amazing paper-thin crêpes - with the proper tools.

Allow me to insist that the thick, flat crêpe pan is a must. Of course if you could get a professional Bilig, those large electric crêpes burners, that is even better, especially with two of them set at different temperatures for cooking each side of the crêpe. You really, really need to add the milk glass by glass or you will have lumps. And Hervé This, the French food scientist and bel esprit, has tested the kitchen lore that says that crêpe batter whisked by hand tastes better than one made with the same ingredients in a kitchen mixer.

There are more recipes of crêpes than belfries in Brittany. If you look for variations start with the savory buckwheat crepes, cooked in the same manner. Some recipes add vanilla, orange flower blossom, oil or melted butter.

The crepe pan is sold by Le Creuset and Staub. Make sure to get the wooden batter spreader, called rozell in Britanny.


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173 Comments

  • #1
  • Comment by JD
The audio on here is horrible. I can't hear a thing, it's all muffled.

I want to make crepes, just can't hear how to do it :(
  • FX's answer→ JD, thanks for letting me know, you need to increase the volume with the striped button on the bottom right of the image, and yea shall be unmuffled. Enjoy!

Thank you for the crepe video! Your recipe is so different from what American's make. I will try your version. The video makes it much easier to understand. Sometimes the easiest recipes are the hardest to explain!
  • FX's answer→ Indeed Lucy, this is a really easy recipe provided you understand the process and get the tools!

  • #5
  • Comment by Octavian
Perfect!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Octavian!

  • #7
  • Comment by jay furman
My first Crepe (Blueberry and Yogurt fill), was experienced at the foot of Ajax Mountain on a cobblestone sector of the town of Aspen. It was late afternoon, Winter and time for a hungry knome as I to eat something suitable to Aspen cuisine. As it turned out, I approached a carny like metal cart manned by a Crepeire in a crisp white jacket with a fuzzy, warm scarf around her neck. She prepared my Crepe within a short time and introduced me to French cuisine in an Alpine setting. Since then, I have occasional thought of producing my own. Admittedly, I have until now been unsuccessful in that pursuit. Thanks again for your input and beautiful shots of incredible preparations of all things imaginable. Keep up the good work and the grasshopper will learn some more.   
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Jay, I am glad to hear my little film evoked cherished gullet memories!

The video is great!  You are a natural in front of the camera. Thank you for this. I have been "crepe challenged" for years, but now I think I might be able to make my own beautiful crepes!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Susan!

  • #11
  • Comment by Kai
It's funny. Here in Canada, where we're up to our ears in maple syrup, we (in my experience) tend to eat our crêpes with fresh fruit, sometimes crème anglaise or something similar, and only use maple syrup on more everyday pancakes.
  • FX's answer→ Kai, maple syrup is one of the great products of this world, you should be proud of it and make a point of eating no less than a gallon a week!

  • #13
  • Comment by Allon
Thank you for the recipe and video demonstration.
With what can we substitute the lard? As a lacto-ovo vegetarian, lard is a problem...
  • FX's answer→ Allon, I don't think you'll find any lard where you live even if you became a carnivore overnight! You can use heat-resistant vegetable fat (see other answer). Have fun!

  • #15
  • Comment by judi
haven't looked at the vid yet, but I was getting worried about you. no wonderful blogs for several weeks!
  • FX's answer→ I am back!

  • #17
  • Comment by judi
OK i have seen the vid and i want crepes! Measurements with cups, pints & quarts would be easier to understand
  • FX's answer→ Judi, next time I promise I'll figure out measurement by volume to reduce confusion, and will include the recipe in the text for printing.

  • #19
  • Comment by chef4cook
although I use butter for my sweet crepes, I prefer to wipe it on so I don't get that greasy after effect. Thanks for the video. You are getting so much better at the production.
  • FX's answer→ Chef, adding melted butter on top the crepes after they are cooked is definitely the way to go, otherwise it turns black and has a bad taste. Glad you liked my vid!

i miss the pictures! i love to browse your site at work, but i don't think i can get away with watching video.
  • FX's answer→ Julie, I hear you!
    I need to take a couple pictures when doing these video recipes, but it's hard, being on camera and behind!

Wow, great video, love the narration and great lighting, you've taken your video up a notch, well done!

The crepes look wonderful. I love how flexible yours turned out.  I love the maple syrup.

Here in Winnipeg Canada (starting today) is the annual Festival du Voyageur. One of the things they do is make a treat with maple syrup.

They boil maple syrup in large pot. They then pour out the hot maple syrup on to the snow in a thin strip. On the snow the syrup hardens. Then frozen syrup is rolled up on a Popsicle stick.  A frozen maple syrup treat, sweet but good.
  • FX's answer→ Geoff, the future vids should be better than this one and I'll work on the audio. Glad you like the narration!

    This popsickle-snow-maple-syrup treat sounds really spectacular!

  • #25
  • Comment by Keroro
I think it's OK to use vegetable oil instead lard. In Russia we using it to make "blini", it's pretty similar to crepes, though without sugar and with yeast or baking powder.
  • FX's answer→ Keroro, yes blini is another one of the world's top flatbreads, really awesome when made with bread yeast.

Great video! These crêpes look terrific and your video is awesome, as usual!

Cheers,

Rosa
  • FX's answer→ Thank you Rosa!

  • #29
  • Comment by Derek
Re: judi (#12):  Measuring that way is not a great idea.  Measuring by weight is the best way to ensure accuracy.  Besides, since the only difference is units, the instructions shouldn't matter.  Grab your scale and weigh everything out.  Once you get used to using weighed ingredients you'll wonder how you ever got by without it.  Besides, there aren't many people left in the world not using the metric system...Perhaps it's not FX who should be making the adjustments...

FX...Re #1: The audio is actually quite low.  Even with my volumes on max it's still difficult to hear.  Still a good video though...thanks!

  • FX's answer→ Derek, I'll get working on the audio right away. I agree with you with the measurement but for people who are used to measure by volume I'll include, in the future, some equivalence.

  • #31
  • Comment by Sebastian
I like the "sucre citron" variant, myself. Although galettes (buckwheat) with fried onions and eggs or ham and eggs are great, too. Heh, I think it might be time for another vacation in Brittany...
@allon: I'd try clarified butter. My grandma swears on it for making pancakes, and it should work for crepes, too. Unless you dislike the fine butter aroma it will impart on them.
  • FX's answer→ Sebastian, indeed beurre-sucre and beurre-sucre-citron are great classics, you don't need more than that to be in heaven. For cooking if you use cast iron you should not use clarified butter as you do with pancakes, as the goal is to have a relatively "dry" crepe pan that won't stick but won't be greasy either. Keep the butter to melt it on top the crepes and impart unburt fine butter aroma.

  • #33
  • Comment by Mami
I had buckwheat crepe with goat cheese and wild mushrooms in Brittany last year, it was beautiful.  Although I like crepes, when I'm traveling I'd rather eat fine memorable food (sorry crepes!!) so I ended up having only once during my week long stay in Brittany.  Thank you for the nice recipe and video :)

  • FX's answer→ Mami, yes Brittany is a great place for crepes, so many ways to eat them!

  • #35
  • Comment by Alisa
Hurrah! FX is back! But, surely if you had choked to death it would have been on a priest-strangler! Brilliant video - beautiful shots of batter mixing - good tip on the pan greasing too. If you get the chance you must try proper russian made pancakes (Blini) - they shold also paper thin (and pierced with a myriad of tiny holes making them lacy) - however don't require the fancy pan and spatula to make!
keep up the great cooking
  • FX's answer→ Alisa, I love blins/blini and have a really good recipe with yeast and egg white that makes for a zilion holes, but I don't know much about them so it would be pretentious for me to make a video perhaps.

  • #37
  • Comment by Carlos
Video sound not exist. ¿where is the recipe for read it? Best wishes. Carlos
  • FX's answer→ Carlos, the audio is a bit low, you should turn it up on the video (bottom right) and on your computer and yea shall hear.

  • #39
  • Comment by Christine
Such a delight to see you again in this very nice video! In your opinion, could this crepe be achieved by using a griddle such as the permanent flat surface you see on some large American stoves?
  • FX's answer→ Christine, if your griddle is not stainless steel (that would require too much oil) but cast iron, and if it can reach 220 celsius spread equally on the surface covered by the batter, then sure, it should work!

  • #41
  • Comment by don siranni
Fx,I'm not able to run the video.I tried anything,everything, I could think of.
It always seems to me it's something secret about the "vimeo" thing.It started to run and as with  others,the audio was very low.I do see some other folks aren't having any problems-maybe it's unique to my internet connection,but everything else works-just not "vimeo".   Don
  • FX's answer→ Don, what operating system and browser are you using? I will try to upload the vid to Exposure Room too or Youtube but the quality is not so good there (although it works!).

  • #43
  • Comment by Jay Rosenberg
Charming, charming video.  
   Am I too primitive to ask if there is an alternative to lard that will do a good job?  Lots of us aren't lard people.
 And may I suggest: Your photography is always excellent.  It would be nice to see highlights of your video in photos, like the crepe tools and pan. Too, it might be nice to see a list of ingredients, so we don't to start/stop the video and make notes.  
 Looking forward to seeing your next video.  With all the suggestions maybe you can begin to list us in credits at the end of your videos!
Jay
  • FX's answer→ Jay, a very valid question! Lard is not exactly a popular ingredient and in some countries there is just now way you could find it. You might try with a heat-resistant vegetable frying fat. Or perhaps grapeseed oil. Remember that the pan needs to reach about 220 Celsius - most vegetable oils will revert to the periodic table of the elements at that temperature!

  • #45
  • Comment by Krish
"#1Comment by JDon: 13/02/2009
The audio on here is horrible. I can't hear a thing, it's all muffled.
I want to make crepes, just can't hear how to do it :("

It really did surprise me how ungrateful some people can be. Yes the audio was low so what. It does not really warrant that kind of remark from JDon. When was the last time this JDon person did share anything on the net for anyone.

Anyway, what a wonderful recipe once again. I am a big big fan of your website and almost try to make anything you post here. Please keep blogging. Kisses and hugs from the land of long white cloud.
  • FX's answer→ Ah Krish, thanks for coming to my rescue. Who knows what is driving our friend's nerves - maybe he has a difficult life and burns a fuse sooner than some other people. Anyway, I'd rather have somebody tell me the audio is too low so we can fix it, but your patience is much appreciated all the same! The land of long white cloud sounded like London, but New Zealand is much more exciting!

  • #47
  • Comment by Jason
That was superb -and just last night I thought to myself "what happened to FX?" You've got style my friend and I appreciate you plugging away at your passion for food at any pace. I would love to see Pasta n'Cacciata prepared on video. Keep up the great work.
  • FX's answer→ Jason, thanks for remembering me! I'll be doing a number of videos about things from my country, but you'll find a really detailed article about pasta n'casciata in pictures on FXcuisine.com. A good choice, that one is really delicious!

I loooooove your videos Francois! The quality is very good! So professional.

Of course you make it all look so easy. :)  I never thought a special "crepe pan" was necessary, but I see now why it would be. Crepes are awesome, and can be used for so many things.
  • FX's answer→ Traci, thank you very much for these kind words!
    The pan is really necessary, but it will last 5 lifetimes and then some - a great investment.

Could you please do me a favour and stop making your food look so delicious - I'm putting on weight (just by watching the video!) and drooling all over my key board!
I now live near Paris & am often dissapointed when ordering my favourite crepes "Crepes Suzette" to find it's just a splash of Grand Marnier on top of a crepes - no caramalization, no orange juice, no zeste of orange, no cognac (for the Flambe)
- maybe I'm eating in the wrong restaurants!
  • FX's answer→ Michael, I'll try to find something really off-putting for a future recipe, in a bid to help your diet! Crêpes Suzettes are really great but it takes quite a while to prepare, best done in a chafing dish right on the table with a fire extinguisher nearby...

FX, have you noticed that your voice is only heard from left channel at 2:54 - 3:05?

I think you should release these in ipod-format and make a video podcast out of them.
  • FX's answer→ I must have forgotten to duplicate the voice over on that one. Actually right now I'm reading a book about movie audio, so improvement should be coming soon!

  • #55
  • Comment by Luke
That was absolutely wonderful. I really can't muster any other words to describe it.

You've gotten really good at this, and you've gotten good fast.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks a lot Luke! Still a long road to go for broadcast-quality...

Thanks for the continued excellent work Francois! You totally rock!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Cynthia, I am glad to hear you support my efforts towards moving pictures!

  • #59
  • Comment by John-Christopher Ward
A small correction, the paddle is a spatula, metal for turning the crêpe, wooden or silicon for mixing the batter.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks JC, indeed a spatula it is!

Delectable!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Louise!

  • #63
  • Comment by Birchbark Goat Farm
Francois, you help us to make it through another long, dark, cold winter with your warm and inviting images of delicious food cooked lovingly and photographed stunningly! We have shared your pix and videos with scores of friends, they all pronounce them gorgeous and practically three-dimensional:) Please keep it up, you are building a loyal following and a North American fan base that Julia Child would have envied! The perfect innovative kitchen and travel guide for our times. Thanks for giving us a front row seat! And come to the US sometime to taste our farmstead cheeses!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks, I really like Julia Child, very characterful cooking videos. I saw some American farmstead cheesemakers in Torino at the Fiera del Gusto, very commendable cheeses indeed!

  • #65
  • Comment by Alex
Great video, Francois!
This is one of my favorite "morning foods", along with blini and sirniki.
  • FX's answer→ Alex, if you serve french Crepes in your house for breakfast this must be heaven!

  • #67
  • Comment by meramarina
Hi FX, good to see you back onscreen, and a belated happy new year to you.  I'd looooooove a genuine French crêpe.  I haven't had one for twenty years!  I've seen some dubious foodstuffs called crepes here in USA, but never the real thing.

Proper French Crêpes, just like yours, are my best remembrance from a visit to France as a 17 year old student, a first experience of serious culture shock - my fault! - no knowledge of French language, history or culture whatsoever -  at that age I had not thought to prepare for the trip!  Crêpes were a good comfort food, as it was really all I could do to point and mispronounce, "Crap! Crap?"  

I'm wiser now - well, OK, not much! - and can report that the only culture "shock" I got last summer in Switzerland involved a cow pasture fence that I was told NOT to touch.  Should I return, I will go crêpe hunting, for sure, even if I must go to France to find some.  I'm still a little bit afraid of France.  

Anyway, your lovely sizzling pan of batter evokes a not-quite-Proustian but still delicious memory! Thanks very much for all the work you do to make your new videos.  I liked what you did with Montgomery's Cheese, when you combined video, photo and written content.   Any medium, though, is great fun to see and adds another item to the list of Things - I - Must - Eat - In - This - Lifetime.   I hope this year also brings you wonderful culinary delights!

. . . but perhaps you're becoming a little too good with your video work  - no swearing ! ? ! ?
  • FX's answer→ Meramarina, thanks a lot for your enthusiastic support! Yes I curse mostly on pieces to camera, but this film was a test for a different way of showing recipes, shorter films with voice over comments and only a couple of on-camera sequences. So, less cursing!

  • #69
  • Comment by Joe S
Francois,
I so enjoy watching your videos; you have such a charming screen presence.  I have been making crepes for my family for years.  Adding the milk last though in your recipe is the fist time I have seen that done so I gave it a try this morning.  I would say far less air is introduced to the batter using this method and I will adopt this from now on.  Unfortunately, I only have a french crepe pan of the low side variety.  To get a very thin crepe I use approximately the right amount and once the batter is swirled around the pan I pour off any remaining liquid ... It is a matter of making do with the tools at hand.

The lard/egg part I am not so sure of; I use a small amount of butter every 5 - 6 crepes as well as incorporate melteed butter into the batter.

I do desire to own one of those crepe electric/gas crepe machines one day though.  As well I have had very good luck substituting 1/3  buckwheat for white flour; it gives an interesting nutty flavour.

cheers, Joe

ps.  I can't wait to get back to Pairs and visit the cook equipment shops.



  • FX's answer→ Joe thanks for your comments and for actually trying this, and glad to hear it worked for you! The lard is needed if you use a cast iron pan, to fill the millions of tiny holes that would catch rust and make the crepe stick. I used to use butter but it burns and acquires a poor taste if the temperature is high enough, so much better to brush the cooked crepes with butter melted at a low temperature.

  • #71
  • Comment by Karen
FX,

Ah...memories of Paris and tripping over my beloved crepe stands every 5 feet. Save me one! Keep up the great and tasty work!

Your foodie friend,
Karen (San Francisco, CA)
  • FX's answer→ Karen, in Paris I recommend you only have crepes in those crêperie that have an indoor room. Those who sell on the street often sell pre-cooked crepes that are like cardboard. The garnish used is not always of the highest order either, so you could definitely make much tastier ones right there in your kitchen in Frisco, no doubt!

  • #73
  • Comment by Jeff and Treena
Welcome back!! We were worried...We are working on perfecting lasagna and cooking eggplant like an Italian GrandMa which is part of Treena's family.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks!

  • #75
  • Comment by Joel Cohen
Always delighted with your work. Could the foie gras work as well with chicken livers?
How about us learning to prepare a ballotine, a de-boned bird. This is very challenging. If you accept the challenge, you may curse me forever. But I will remain your friend in the kitchen.j
  • FX's answer→ Joel, chicken livers are very different from foie gras, you can do all sorts of nice things with them but not foie gras terrine I'm afraid. Yes, chicken deboned from within has intrigued me for quite a while and you may see it here one day!

  • #77
  • Comment by Charlie
Great to see the videos coming together, you do the world of food a service in sharing your knowledge. Thank you!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks a lot Charlie, glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks for such a beautiful demonstration!  I loved making crepes in school and once you have the hand for it, they crank out very quickly.  I make them at home for both breakfast with fruit rolled up in them and for dessert with hazelnut mousse and other goodies.  They are very different than American "pancakes" which aren't trying to be anything but what they are - big fluffy round blankets of carbohydrate meant to power one through the day.

I have 3 crepe pans which are beautifully seasoned.  They were made in France and while it's best to have an actual crepe pan, a nonstick pan can be useful if tool space is limited.

<3 Chiffy
  • FX's answer→ Chiffonade, thanks for visiting! Do you have flat-disc pancake pans or just flat ones with some rounded edges? I really find those totally flat pans intriguing. Someday I'll show you my convex cast iron pan (like a steel ball, definitely not for liquid batter)!

I love making crepes and this video makes it look even easier.  I definitely picked up some great tips - thanks!!

Love your site and plan on leaving more crumbs more often!  ;)
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Chez Nous, I hope you come back!

  • #83
  • Comment by David
I love this site. Your production skills are advancing at an exponential rate, and very informative. I have never had delusions of making crepes, but I feel I must give them a try. Truly sad it is here in America we are subjected to the crap we have to eat here. I look forward to your next article.
  • FX's answer→ David, thanks for your kind words! I'm glad my efforts towards better video start to show a little bit! Yes, US pancakes as they are often served in restaurants do not do the concept much justice. But you can do these right in your kitchen, no problem, just get the tools or make them!

  • #85
  • Comment by lapin-rouge
In Britanny they ALWAYS use a hand (no spoons, spatulas or anything) to mix the batter - and Ive never seen the mixture sieved. Some melted butter also goes into the mix.

Sorry to be so critical - but the word (both single & plural)is pronounced 'crepe' - not crepes.

Get the mixture thinner, and the griddle hotter - the aim is to get an almost lace like pancake that cooks in around 10 seconds.

like I said - sorry to be critical but you are dealing with a national dish here !
  • FX's answer→ Lapin rouge, thank you for dropping in with some Breton good sense. Indeed, many recipes include some melted butter or oil, but some do not. I am most pleased to learn I passed as some Englishman who pronounce the 'S' at the end of French words, and not like a French-speaking Swiss. This is most encouraging for my efforts to pass for a foreigner here in Lausanne.

  • #87
  • Comment by Zelda
Francois, I love your blog - I'm a long-time reader. Unfortunately, I can't access video for work-related reasons, and the prospect of your site going from photo journal to video saddens me. Am I going to miss out on your recipes and your outrageously entertaining style because of your new format?

I like your photos and your desriptions!

Indignantly yours,

Zelda
  • FX's answer→ Zelda, I will endeavor to shoot some pictures during the videos so that you get some eyecandy to be enjoyed at work, then come back home and, hopefully, watch the video!

  • #89
  • Comment by Chirag Parekh (India)
Dear FX,
I really appreciate your great work. Keep it up.
I would like to suggest you to please also include some Indian Authentic items in your menu...
I am a PURE vegetarian guy and i would like to get some good recipes from you.
hope to hear from you very soon.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks I will do my best!

  • #91
  • Comment by Clement
Well done!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks!

  • #93
  • Comment by Ty
Yesterday, when I saw, if only for a moment, that your blog was down, my heart sank several spaces in my chest.  It is wonderful to see you again.  

Your videos, and photos have always been a true delight for me, and my grateful gastronomic roomates.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Ty, I was just making some changes on the backend, nothing sinister happened!

  • #95
  • Comment by Sugar Royale
Salut François-
Love your blog. I love that you are doing video. You are a natural in front of the camera and your kitchen is a marvelous. I only wish I could hear you. I have the volume all the way up and you are almost inaudible. I'm on a Mac so perhaps that's why. I'm sure you'll get the kinks out. Thank you for sharing your passion and knowledge of food. I learned how to make dessert crepes at the French Pastry School. We add a little beurre noissette to the batter for flavor. I would love to get my hands on a real crepe pan! What brand is yours? I'm in France this summer and will add that to my list of must buys. Thanks again for all the tasty inspirations your provide! Miam!
  • FX's answer→ Sugar Royale, I promise to correct the sound for the next video, these things are unfortunately harder than they look, right up until the time when you know exactly what to do. Then it is easy to get the sound to the proper level! For the crepe pan this one is by Le Creuset but I included a link to several alternatives on Amazon.com in my article.

  • #97
  • Comment by Simon
Yesterday I was very excited as I walked an unusual route through my home city and stumbled upon a restaurant I had not seen before - calling itself a crêperie.  Suffice to say my initial excitement was short-lived when I sampled the stodgy, greasy product they were passing off as a crêpe, so what a pleasant surprise to get home and find this guide to doing it properly.

I should also compliment you on your presenting skills, François.  You have an easy manner in front of the camera, and you speak very clearly, which is something I wish could be said of all people who upload videos to the internet.  I look forward to the next production!
  • FX's answer→ Oh yes Simon, you will nearly always have better crepes if you cook them at home rather than visiting some greasy "crêperie". Glad you like my screen presence!

  • #99
  • Comment by Erik
I stumbled across your blog recently and am extremely glad that I did!! Your pictures are nothing short of amazing and the accompanying blogs are extremely informative and interesting. I have viewed almost all of them at this point.. I look forward to your next installment!! Keep up the great work!!
  • FX's answer→ Erik, thanks a lot for your kind words!

  • #101
  • Comment by sasidhar
would this be end of beautiful still pictures of food ?
  • FX's answer→ No Sasidhar, I will shoot some more still pictures, but the video making is a very involved process and I couldn't focus on both so far.

  • #103
  • Comment by Zerlina
Francois, I love the video - even if I miss the artistry of your still photos.

And I realize that using Google ads probably only pays for a minuscule portion of your costs and nothing at all of the valuable time you invest, but I do rather resent being told - twice, in huge letters! - "1 Rule of a Flat Stomach"!  Please ask Google to make its ads less obtrusive.

Thank you - and keep up the wonderful work!
  • FX's answer→ It is because the article is shorter than usual that you feel there are too many ads.

  • #105
  • Comment by Zerlina
Amazing!  I just went back to the top, and "1 Rule of a Flat Stomach" only appears once instead of twice and on the side instead of in the middle of your text.

I'm pretty sure my comment had nothing to do with the improvement...!
  • FX's answer→ Zerlina, on the Internet, everybody knows you have a flat stomach!

  • #107
  • Comment by yingdan
It's really amazing to see that the crepe is done in exactly the same way and with the same tools as one type of Chinese pancakes. Can you tell me where do buy this small wooden gadget in switzerland? Besides, i'm always wondering about the size of egg you used in all your recipes, because the size of egg in supermarket varies from 40g to 70g, that's a big difference...
  • FX's answer→ Yingdan, you can order the rozell (scraper) on the Internet or at L'Air du Temps in Vevey.
    I only use 70 grams eggs - you make a very valid point.

  • #109
  • Comment by Archagon
Interesting -- this recipe is almost identical to our family blini recipe, but ours turn out very thick. Amazing how much of a difference a few simple changes can make!
  • FX's answer→ Archagon, do you not use yeast and foamed egg whites in your blinis? Also, what flour do you use?

  • #111
  • Comment by Archagon
FX, strangely, no. In our household, yeast only gets added during Maslenitsa. (According to Wikipedia, apparently we've been making crepes the entire time!)

As for flour, well, I'm a beginner cook, so I just use whatever's at hand -- usually all-purpose.
  • FX's answer→ Thank you Archagon!

Ideal for Shrove Τuesday! I like  your method with the food, I love your site!
Either as pancakes,  blinis,  blintzes,  crepelle,  plattars or (greek) tiganites, crêpes -crêpe batter- are the best, a delicacy!
  • FX's answer→ Katerina, what is Shrove Tuesday? Is this like our Chandeleur when we eat crepes on a special day?

  • #115
  • Comment by EMİNE
Hi François,this recipe is easy and it looks deliciou.I'm going to kitchen and try it, thank you.
  • FX's answer→ Thank you Emine and have fun in the kitchen!

  • #117
  • Comment by Lucas
Although I like your videos, I would rather have your articles full of those stunning pictures instead of the way you are starting to make now (I don't mean I'd like to see them both together, I really prefer only the pictures).

Hope you think about it FX, it is a great blog you have, and your pictures are art.
  • FX's answer→ I hear you Lucas, but unfortunately I am really focussed on video right now and won't publish many photo journals in the future. Perhaps some illustration to go with the video, but that's it. Hope you get to enjoy my videos - eventually!

I think that Shrove Tuesday, is for the French catholic, the last day of carnival. I've read that they use  to touch the flat crêpe pan then, as they make crêpe and wish for something!

We in Greece have a similarity  during the Tyrini Sunday, the last day of carnival too. That is next Sunday! (Tyri  means cheese). After that,  a period of fasting begins, for forty days  till Εaster.
  • FX's answer→ Thanks for your explanation  Katerina!

  • #121
  • Comment by Pierre
Hello Fx,
nice blog indeed, making video is a choice and from a personal experience, moving from photos to videos is much different in the ammount of work needed to achieve the same results, especially given your ability to make stunning photos ! I hope you could achieve the same "level" of results in the video shots but that definitely means a lot of material, external mic, ligthning tunning and somebody shooting you... it's a different story. As you wish of course, I'll stay a very dilligent reader of your great blog.
A side note on Lapin rouge comment, in brittany they know to do very good galettes but not so much for crepes. And that's the galettes which are battered with the hand (only sarazin and water, a bit a milk if you were rich at times) not the crepes which needs eggs & butter properly mixed.
As a a guy from Normandy exiled next to swizterland (and married to a swiss lady by the way) I am happy to debate on the crepes :)
  • FX's answer→ Pierre, indeed it is much more work to make videos and I am less independent. However, the way my articles have been so far were quite close to a video in my respects. A chronological tale in images with short comments in between - very similar I think to video. I just made buckwheat crepes tonight, got it right after the 6th crepe. Served them with wild salmon, trout eggs, sour cream, lemon and looooots of chiselled chives.

  • #123
  • Comment by lars larsen
I MISS your photos, for their color, depth, and when using your instruction during cooking! Please consider bringing back the photos. And thanks for the site!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Lars, I will try to post both still pictures and videos in each article, but the videos take much of my time these days!

  • #125
  • Comment by Sue
Hi Francois,

I have to agree with Lucas and Pierre.  While the videos are fun, they just aren't as beautiful as your still photographs.  I also find it easier to learn from the articles, since the photos are bigger and clearer than the video and I can go back more easily if I don't understand something.
I'd encourage you to keep going in both mediums.
  • FX's answer→ Sue, I know that the videos still don't look as good as the still pictures, but you have to give me a chance. I shoot with the same lenses and the same light and eventually the moving pictures should look better. Of course big still pictures are easier to peruse and I will do my best to include some in upcoming video articles whenever I can!

  • #127
  • Comment by MiniME
I tell you my fast way to make this:
420 ml milk
2 medium eggs
1 tea spoon salt
1 tea spoon sugar
200 grams flour
The secret is to heat up the milk. I put the ingredients in that order. Mix with an whisk. The flour should not make lumps. And voila, redy to fry in a large pan. I put a tea spoon of sunflower oil before fry each crepe and put  one over other on a plate.
  • FX's answer→ Would the flour lump if the milk was cold?

I think the video is very well made and quite instructional, however I make crepes in a non stick frying pan and I add a little oil to the batter, which makes it not stick at all and I always turn out perfect pancakes too as seen on my blog...thanks for sharing really nice  xxx
  • FX's answer→ Thanks

Hi Francois, I've been trying to email you with no luck - keep getting a connection timeout error. Im emailing from my gmail account. Can you send me an email. Thanks.
  • FX's answer→ Anders now it should all work fine.

  • #133
  • Comment by parshu.narayanan
Very interesting! There seems to be a human fascination across cultures for pouring batter into thin discs on flat pans. Along with blinis and Chinese pancakes,South Indians have the Dosa which looks identical and is made on an identical flat pan though made with entirely different ingredients and North Indians have the Chilla. An Expat Russian who lives here (hiding from the mob back home) once made blinis for me stuffed with chocolate sauce - yum!
  • FX's answer→ Yes, flat breads are really handy and fun to eat, I don't know anybody who doesn't like them!

  • #135
  • Comment by MiniME
Answer at the above recipe:
I belive flour will lump if the milk is cold. I think :).
I try with cold milk long time ago ...
  • FX's answer→ Thanks!

  • #137
  • Comment by Groty
Aaarrrghhhh!

I'd rather have your excellent photos and 2 updates a Week instead of video's and 2 updates a Month.

FX - You're killing me, and my addiction to your recipes.
  • FX's answer→ Groty, I know how you feel, but we are working on the video every day and there are some initial delays such as getting rights for music, finding the right cables, and so on. But really I feel that if you give me a chance, you'll see that the videos will be better than the stills-and-prints articles!

  • #139
  • Comment by ND
FX, FX, I don't think I wanted to be weaned from my FXCuisine addiction this way! You'll remember from Trainspotting that even junkies get periodic shots of methadone to ease the pangs of withdrawal, and I think you should bring this concept to FXCuisine.com. Maybe one tiny photo article a week, to tide us over? Kudos to you for cunningly removing that "updated twice weekly" banner, though!
  • FX's answer→ Ah yes, Trainspotting. I loved that Mephistopheles character with the Porsche more than the druggies, but you got the point across and bing bang bong, here is a new article!

  • #141
  • Comment by zeta
FX, I don't know what I like better - your great, mouthwatering recipes or the way you present them. You have such a warm, friendly, encouraging style. Hats of to you!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Zeta! I'll try to include more of both!

  • #143
  • Comment by Michelle
Mmmm... Looks delicious, as always. As another of your readers pointed out, we have an abundance of maple syrup here in Canada. If you ever want some freshly produced syrup, just give a shout and I'll send some (a friend of mine owns a sugarbush farm just outside Ottawa). Cheers!
  • FX's answer→ Maple syrup? Oh yes, anyday! If you can get some freshly produced syrup please let me know so we can work out the postage. Thanks in advance!

  • #145
  • Comment by Emma
A whole life doing crepes and I didn't know was the wrong way :)...I am gonna try yours, thank you
  • FX's answer→ Yes I have myself made oh-so-many crepes using copious amounts of burnt butter, only to discover that the traditional way is just vastly leaner and superior. No question!

  • #147
  • Comment by Joan
I wonder if one can use the bottom of a big frying pan, turned upside down. Thank you for your great video, professional presentation, and big, big, smile.
  • FX's answer→ I am not so sure on that, the coating on the bottom might not be so stomach-friendly. Glad you liked the big smile!

  • #149
  • Comment by ariadna
I believe you are a lawyer by profession, I think... anyway, if you are you've got to be the most adorable one in the world! You're just SO into cooking, it's awesome. Thanks for sharing!
  • FX's answer→ A lawyer of sorts, yes. Thanks!

This is a great post.  I first made crepes back in high school as a demonstration for my French class.  They turned out great and I've been making them ever since.  Thank you for making the video presentation.
  • FX's answer→ Hope you get to make more crepes in the future!

  • #153
  • Comment by Robert
Great video on making crepes! When I make mine at home, I use a flat iron pan with a very low lip (like 1/2" lip). I have the wooden spreading tool, but find that by lifting the pan and shaking the batter around until it coats the entire pan works exceptionally well. Also, I only use the spatula to lift the edge of the crepe for flipping, and then use my fingertips to perform the flip. Unorthodox, but it works for me.

You do somethings here that I have never done and am looking forward to trying. I do not add the milk in small batches, I just pour it slowly (but continuously) while whisking vigorously. I also do not add nearly this much sugar (200 grams)for sweet crepes.  Also, I add one or two ounces of white rum to my sweet crepes. Mine come out nearly as good as professional restaurant crepes, which is more of a testimony to how easy it is to make them at home rather than a reflection on my skill!

Oh, and I have found that the first crepe often goes to the dogs unless I get lucky on the temperature the first time.

Thanks, your website is amazing!!!!

  • FX's answer→ Thanks Robert, yes there are many ways to make crepes and some recipes include less sugar or rhum, a great idea by the way. Restaurants don't always make such nice crepes anyway. How do you grease your pan?

  • #155
  • Comment by Cheryl
Francois,
I have to say, the one thing (really, not just one thing but if I told you one thousand things, you would think I was a nut case!) Ok, so one of the thousand things I like about watching your videos (in addition to the wonderful recipes) is your enthusiasm, your humor and your delight for all things food.
When your eyes brighten by an observation or remark, my eyes brighten too, when you giggle or laugh, I do too and, when you are very happy with something you had just done or tasted, guess who else is delighted????... All of us!   
You are utterly charming and it is absolutely infecteous!
When Julia Child had her television shows, she charmed a nation with her charismatic charm and love for great food. She proceeded to become an iconic and well-loved personality.   You possess that same quality and we, who watch you are completely and utterly charmed by you.
We are grateful you're here.
Cheryl
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Cheryl, these are very kind words! Indeed Julia Child is quite a reference, not many TV chefs today come across quite like her. I've prepared a few videos that you might find more advanced in that department, but have to get around to finish the editing and music to publish some excerpts. Now this is really nice to hear at last from somebody who likes the videos for what they are instead of mourning the still pictures!

  • #157
  • Comment by Marc
Hello François, I think people are not mourning the photos, its the fact that you are not publishing new stories and recipe´s. I think there is a (small) community growing but when a website doesn´t have fresh content people move elsewhere. This would be a pitty, the exchange of information from people all over the world with common interests is of high value. Your perception is highly regarded by the visitors and I also think it is inspiring.

As I already commented before, video is fantastic but it eats up free time in the edits. Your photography is superb and your written text is rich in flavour. Why not use both formats?

Anyway, your site and your decisions!
  • #158
  • Comment by Sa
I loved the piece.  I was just wondering where I can find the wooden mixing bowl. It seems perfect for many other dishes.
  • #159
  • Comment by felicity
this is the first video of yours that i have watched and i have to say you totally charmed me! wonderful instructional video, and you are a natural in front of the camera. i really like your sweet accent!
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Felicity! This is really encouraging, I am trying to improve my videos and spent quite some time filming recently. More is on the way...

  • #161
  • Comment by Natasha
Mille Merci! I love crepes, but due to a recently learned about Gluten allergy I am unable to eat the traditional ones.  However, now that I know how to make them and I can probably find a recipe for 100% buckwheat or use a GF substitute.  I will totally be getting the cast iron pan & I don't think the amount of lard used would be a health issue.  Can you use cheesecloth type of material?
  • #162
  • Comment by Karol Nowak
where can I purchase a flat crepe pan, that is  without a side lip?

Thank you.

Karol
  • FX's answer→ Perhaps you should try on Amazon.com?

  • #164
  • Comment by geoffrey ball
great stuff, you make everything look so tasty
  • FX's answer→ Thanks Geoffrey

  • #166
  • Comment by Shua
Hey! Great video! I've been making crepes since I was 12 but never in the proper French tradition. I have a few questions about greasing the pan...why do you mix an egg yolk with the lard? How much lard to yoke? And, how long will this mixture keep?

Thanks!
Shua
  • FX's answer→ Shua, just one egg yolk per two cups of lard or so. I am not sure why but it does make an even coating for the cast iron pan and the lard doesn't stuck to the crepes any more.

  • #168
  • Comment by juliette la bretonne
Wow is that a complicated way of making crepes. It is funny how the evolution of crepes abroad have made it into a chichi dish far away from the come home from school, first dish you're ever taught to make kind of thing.
PS never would we have put sugar into the batter, that goes in after once the crepe is made. The most important part of making the batter is letting it sit and a little bit of beer makes it perfect and light. And finally any veg oil will make it on a piece of kitchen towel to lightly coat the pan. As for the pan it's cute to have a pan specifically for crepes but come on if you're living in a city you know how tight on space things get so rather than a specific pan and a spatula a light batter that is liquid enough a good turn of the wrist and a non stick pan coated with a tiny bit of fat will do the trick better than any chef paraphernalia.
  • FX's answer→ Juliette, thank you for your heartfelt feedback. Please do not consider my efforts as judgmental on your own usual crepe recipe - I don't condemn people who simplify the thing but perhaps you could try it and report back to see if you found any, hopefully positive, differences. As for the pan it is totally flat and can be stored in the smallest cupboard kitchen, between furnitures, in the toespace, above cabinets. I must say that "any non stick pan" will definitely not do the job better than this type of flat, heavy, cast iron pan.

  • #170
  • Comment by jh
Sorry FX, there is no belfries in Brittany, but asteeples
  • #171
  • Comment by jh
Hi FX,

If you have some time, try to change the recipe and divide by two the weight of flour to use instead of 100% white flour: 50% chestnut flour and 50% white flour, it's make great crêpes.


PS : Sorry FX, there is no belfries in Brittany (I live in), but a lot of steeples or bell-tower instead.
  • #172
  • Comment by George Paul Stearns
Hello, I loved your video on making crepes.  My question is where can I find tools like the ones you used.  They are not found in the stores where I shop.  Yumm.
Thank you
George
  • FX's answer→ George I think your best bet is online on Ebay or Amazon for instance.


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