LEMON CREPES PRINCESSE

The origin of this dish is disputed. I like the story told by Henri Charpentier who was working in a kitchen in Monte Carlo in 1895 and accidentally set fire to whatever was in his chafing dish. He was cooking for the Prince of Wales and a beautiful young woman named Suzette. According to him:

It was quite by accident as I worked in front of a chafing dish that the cordials caught fire. I thought it was ruined. The Prince and his friends were waiting. How could I begin all over? I tasted it. It was, I thought, the most delicious medley of sweet flavors I had ever tasted. I still think so. That accident of the flame was precisely what was needed to bring all those various instruments into one harmony of taste … He ate the pancakes with a fork; but he used a spoon to capture the remaining syrup. He asked me the name of that which he had eaten with so much relish. I told him it was to be called Crêpes Princesse. He recognized that the pancake controlled the gender and that this was a compliment designed for him; but he protested with mock ferocity that there was a lady present. She was alert and rose to her feet and holding her little skirt wide with her hands she made him a curtsey. “Will you,” said His Majesty, “change Crêpes Princesse to Crêpes Suzette?” Thus was born and baptized this confection, one taste of which, I really believe, would reform a cannibal into a civilized gentleman. The next day I received a present from the Prince, a jeweled ring, a panama hat and a cane.

Ummm, a jeweled ring, a panama hat and a cane! Well, I think Charpentier was under-compensated if that’s all he received for inventing Crepes Suzette. I love, love, love this dessert. My friend Sergio makes the best Suzette sauce, but I gave it a whirl this weekend and the results were almost as good as his. (So now I need to cook this for him!) I made the rolled crepes on Saturday night and served them with a lemon sauce. I made an orange sauce on Sunday night and ate up the rest of my left-over crepes and they were equally (if not more) delicious. This is a great dessert for entertaining. The only tricky part is making the crepes — and actually that’s pretty fun. Now, whether these crepes can turn a cannibal into a civilized gentleman, I don’t know… BUT…

Directions

Step 1

Make the crepes according to the recipe on this site for Crepes Kovacs. Set aside until you have made the filling.

Step 2

Mix all ingredients for the filling with an electric hand beater. Put in the frig for a while and it will harden up a little.

Step 3

Spread each crepe with enough of the filling to cover it (a little more) and then roll each one and set aside while you make your sauce.

Step 4

The technique for the sauce is the same whether you use lemon or orange juice. Melt the butter in a large flat sauce pan over medium heat, and then add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the juice. You might need to raise the temp a little on your stove top. Stir until slightly thickened.

Step 5

Add the crepes to the pan and turn them a few times until they are heated through. Then add the liqueur and flame if you can! Serve with a sprig of mint and fruit garnish.