Have you just finished digesting Yule logs and galettes des rois? Make room in your stomach for another winter treat: crêpes. For Chandeleur, we’ve decided to share with you the simplest recipe for crêpes from our beloved chef Cyril Lignac. With just a turn of the whip, you’ll be the star of Chandeleur.
Lights and crêpes: a brief history of Chandeleur
Born of pagan Roman rites celebrating the return of light, Candlemas, or “festa candelarum“, was Christianized in the 5th century by Pope Gelasius. It commemorates the presentation of Jesus in the Temple and is accompanied by golden pancakes, symbols of the sun and prosperity! Today, we simply love to spoil our children and friends with delicious crêpes!
Did you know that? Not everyone eats pancakes to celebrate Candlemas! Every country has its own culinary speciality. The English, for example, enjoy crumpets, Mexicans prefer tamales, Swedes savor hirams plattär (puffed pancakes), and Italians delight in farinata. No crêpesin Luxembourg, though! Children wander around with lanterns, begging for candy, just like on Halloween!
To make Cyril Lignac’s crêpes recipe, you’ll need :
Ingredients for Cyril Lignac’s crêpes recipe:
- 3 tablespoons caster sugar
- 250 g flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 500 ml milk
Preparing the pancakes :
- In your mixing bowl, start by combining the dry ingredients: flour, sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Then add the eggs one by one, and whisk vigorously to avoid lumps in the pancake batter. This step is crucial.
- Next, pour in the “liquid foods”: vegetable oil, then milk, which you’ll mix in gently.
- You can also flavour your crêpe batter with your favourite fragrance (orange blossom, Grand Marnier or vanilla extract).
- Leave the crêpe batter to rest for at least 1 hour for delicious crêpes. If you don’t have the time, you can start cooking your crêpes without letting the batter rest. Bon appétit and happy Chandeleur!