Corned Beef & Crepes

Strange combination I know... but it worked! Really!

I decided to have a go at making crepes for the first time.. and the night before we had them with nutella and bananas... unfortunately, they were eaten before any photographic evidence could be made.

The following morning I decided to make use of the crepes that were leftover.... but the only breakfast-type thing I had was eggs... and a little packet of hollandaise (yes... we cheat in this household!). But it needed meat. Hmm... I kept poking my head into the fridge.... churizo... too overpowering..... balogna.. hehe nooooo... hmm... leftover corned beaf? At first I ignored it and continued my mission on through the cupboards and then on to the freezer. Nada. Well I though... people eat corned beef hash for breakfast... this wont be hash... but its corned beef! :P So I threw it in there while scrambling my eggs with a bit of diced onion. Wrapped it all up in a crepe, drizzled some hollandaise on that bad boy... garnished with a coupla tomatoes for prettiness.... and VOILA!

It was actually pretty damn good! Note to self.... corned beef goes really well with some eggs and hollandaise! :)

Julia Childs Crepes Fines Sucrees

3/4 cup cold milk
3/4 cup cold water
3 egg yolks
1tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp orange liqueur, rum, or brandy
1 cup flour (scooped and leveled)
5 tbsp melted butter
An electric blender
A rubber scraper An iron skillet or a crêpe pan with a 6 1/2- to 7-inch bottom diameter
2 to 3 tbsp cooking oil and a pastry brush
A ladle or measure to hold 3 to 4 tbsp or 1/4 cup

Place the ingredients in the blender jar in the order in which they are listed. Cover and blend at top speed for 1 minute. If bits of flour adhere to sides of jar, dislodge with a rubber scraper and blend 3 seconds more. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hour or overnight.

Brush the skillet lightly with oil. Set over moderately high heat until the pan is just beginning to smoke.

Immediately remove from heat and, holding handle of pan in your right hand, pour with your left hand a scant 1/4 cup of batter into the middle of the pan. Quickly tilt the pan in all directions to run the batter all over the bottom of the pan in a thin film. (Pour any batter that does not adhere back into your bowl; judge the amount of your next crêpe accordingly.) This whole operation takes but 2 or 3 seconds.

Return the pan to heat for 60 to 80 seconds. Then jerk and toss the pan sharply back and forth and up and down to loosen the crêpe. Lift its edges with a spatula and if the under side is a nice light brown, the crêpe is ready for turning.

Turn the crêpe by using 2 spatulas; or grasp the edges nearest you in your fingers and sweep it up toward you and over again into the pan in a reverse circle; or toss it over by a flip of the pan.

Brown lightly for about 1/2 minute on the other side. This second side is rarely more than a spotty brown, and is always kept as the underneath or nonpublic aspect of the crêpe. As they are done, slide the crêpes onto a rack and let cool several minutes before stacking on a plate. Grease the skillet again, heat to just smoking, and proceed with the rest of the crêpes. Crêpes may be kept warm by covering them with a dish and setting them over simmering water or in a slow oven. Or they may be made several hours in advance and reheated when needed. (Crêpes freeze perfectly.)

As soon as you are used to the procedure, you can keep 2 pans going at once, and make 24 crêpes in less than half an hour.

Adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One
October 2001
by Julia Child
Knopf