French Crêpes with Butter and Lemon

• 250g flour
• 3 eggs
• 500ml milk
• 30g melted butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 pinch of sugar
• Orange or lemon zest (optional)
• Butter for the pan

👨‍🍳 Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Mix flour and eggs. Gradually add milk, whisking to prevent lumps.

2. 2

   Stir in melted butter, salt, and sugar.

3. 3

   Let the batter rest for 30 minutes: this relaxes the gluten and results in thinner crêpes.

4. 4

   Heat a crêpe pan or non-stick skillet with a touch of butter over medium-high heat.

5. 5

   Pour in a small amount of batter and swirl to spread thinly.

6. 6

   Flip when edges begin to lift on their own (about 2 minutes).

7. 7

   Serve with butter and sugar, Nutella, or jam.

💡 Chef's tip

The batter must rest for at least 1 hour (overnight is even better). Without resting, crêpes tear easily and have a floury taste. The first one is always the sacrifice.

📝 Our take

Crêpes are one of those things that sound harder than they are. The batter needs to rest for at least an hour — without it they tear and taste of raw flour. The first one always goes wrong; treat it as a test and the rest come out perfect. With butter, lemon, and a dusting of sugar, there's no reason to complicate them further.

🍷 Wine & food pairing

Breton hard cider (cidre brut) or a café au lait. As a dessert, a chilled Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise poured over sugar crêpes is exceptional.