Every year, exactly 40 days after Christmas, the French will celebrate “La Chandeleur“. The occasion for thousands of “Gourmand” (food lovers) to enjoy delicious crepes! But why do the French eat crêpes on February 2nd?

It’s said that Pope Gelasius I started the tradition for having crêpes for “La Chandeleur” (Candlemas holiday) by offering “Galettes” (salty crêpes) to the poor pilgrims who arrived in Rome on that day. But the Chandeleur is not only a religious holiday, it also has origins in older pagan traditions celebrating the harvest and marking the midway point of winter. At the time, making crêpes was a good way to use the extra wheat ahead of the new harvest. The crêpes with their gold and round shapes were the perfect representation of the sun and the arrival of spring.

Every year on February 2nd the majority of French people continue this tradition and enjoy this simple and delicious meal!

 

Now it’s your turn to make your own crêpes:

Follow this easy recipe and make your family or friends happy around a convivial meal. This recipe will work for both salty and sweet crêpes so why not eat crêpes for dinner and dessert as the French do! Note that you will need a crêpe pan and a spreader.


Ingredients (for 4ppl):

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 500ml of whole milk
• 50g (half a stick) of melted butter
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions:

1) Beat the eggs gently in a bowl until yolks are well mixed.

2) Put the flour in a mixing bowl. Add the pinch of salt. Make a hole in the middle and pour the eggs in. Start stirring with a wooden spoon, when the mixture becomes thick, start adding the milk little by little. Make sure to stir slowly to avoid lumps.

3) Add the butter and mix well. You can then use a mixer. The batter consistency must have the same liquidity as heavy cream.

4) Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.

5) Place the crêpe pan on a stove burner on medium heat. No need to add butter or oil in the pan, it’s already in the batter (however, if it’s sticking to the pan you can add a little bit of butter). Pour one ladle of the batter in the pan and spread the batter around with your wooden crêpe spreader or by swirling the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the underside becomes golden then flip it around with a rubber spatula. Cook the other side for about 1 minute then remove from the pan. Repeat with the remaining batter.

6) Put pretty much anything that you like in your crêpe. For the sweet ones we recommend: fruits, chocolate, jam, lemon juice & sugar… For the salty ones: the famous egg, cheese & ham, or smoked salmon and cream cheese. My favorite is hamburger meat and melted Roquefort cheese. Let your chef’s side come out and invent your own crêpe! 

Bon Appétit!

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