Convent Pancakes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •20 cm / 8-inch omelet pan or nonstick skillet
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible heatproof spatula
• •Four warmed serving plates

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix preparation A

   Whisk the flour, superfine sugar, and salt together in a bowl. Make a well, add the eggs, and whisk from the center outward, drawing in the flour gradually. Add the milk in a thin stream, then whisk in the melted butter until the sweet crêpe batter, preparation A, flows like light cream. If small lumps remain, don't punish the batter with endless whisking. Ça se rattrape: pass it through a fine sieve.

   Adding the milk gradually keeps the flour smooth. Flood the bowl at once and dry pockets hide beneath a deceptively thin surface.
2. 2

   Rest and prepare

   Cover the batter and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. The flour hydrates and the bubbles settle, giving a crêpe that bends without becoming rubbery. Meanwhile, peel and core the pears, cut them into even 5 mm dice, and blot away any surface juice. Warm four plates. Wet fruit makes the layers slide apart, while dry, firm dice stay caught inside.

3. 3

   Enclose the pears

   Set a 20 cm omelet pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add about 1 teaspoon of the cooking butter and swirl it across the pan as the foam subsides. Stir the batter, pour in a scant ¼ cup, and tilt the pan promptly to cover the base. Scatter ¼ cup of pear dice over the batter, leaving a narrow border, then cover the fruit with about 3 tablespoons more batter. Keep both pours thin. A heavy blanket of batter browns outside before it sets around the pear.

4. 4

   Set and toss

   Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting toward medium-low if the butter darkens quickly. The rim should look dry, the underside should be an even butter-gold, and no liquid batter should run when you tilt the pan. Loosen the edge, shake until the crêpe slides freely, then send it forward and pull the pan back in one decisive motion so it turns. If it folds or your wrist refuses, slide it onto a plate, place the pan over it, and invert both together. Ça se rattrape. Cook the second side for 45 to 60 seconds, until mottled gold and set through.

5. 5

   Sugar and serve

   Slide the crêpe directly onto a warmed plate and sift powdered sugar generously over it. Serve it burning hot, then butter the pan and repeat with the remaining batter and pears. Do not stack the crêpes or hold them while all four cook; a rested crêpe goes leathery, and this one deserves the table the moment it leaves the pan. À table!

Chef Tips

• •William pears are sold as Bartlett pears in North America. Choose fruit that gives slightly at the neck but remains firm through the body; a melting-ripe pear releases too much juice and disappears into the batter.
• •Use a pan light enough to toss with one hand. A seasoned omelet pan is classical, but a 20 cm nonstick skillet is the honest home equivalent and gives the enclosed fruit a safer journey.
• •The first crêpe tells you about the heat. Pale after three minutes means the pan needs more fire; dark before the upper layer sets means it needs less. Adjust, butter again, and continue.
• •These are cooked as service, one plate at a time. Give the first to the hungriest person and keep the pan moving. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.

Advance Preparation

• •Preparation A can be mixed up to 12 hours ahead and refrigerated, covered. Let it stand at room temperature for 20 minutes, whisk gently, and loosen it with a spoonful of milk if it has thickened beyond light cream.
• •Keep the pears whole until shortly before cooking. Once cut, they shed juice and discolor, and neither helps the two layers bind.
• •The finished crêpes cannot be held without sacrificing their tenderness. Set out the warmed plates and powdered sugar before the first pour so each serving can leave the pan immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 205g)