Crêpes Suzette, Flambéed at the Table

⏱ 75 min · Serves 4

The great theatre of French dining: gossamer-thin crêpes folded into silky triangles, bathed in a foaming orange-caramel butter sauce, then set alight with Grand Marnier in front of your guests. Blue flames, singed orange perfume, and a pudding nobody forgets.

Per serving: 648 kcal · 10.0g protein · 66.0g carbs · 33.0g fat

Ingredients

• 125g plain flour
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• Pinch of fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 300ml whole milk
• 30g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for the pan
• 1 tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau (for the batter)
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange (for the batter)
• For the Suzette sauce:
• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 80g caster sugar
• Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
• 250ml freshly squeezed orange juice (about 4 oranges)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp Grand Marnier or Cointreau (for the sauce)
• 3 tbsp brandy or Cognac (for flambéing)
• Crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Make the batter: whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Beat in the eggs, then gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Stir in the melted butter, 1 tbsp liqueur and the orange zest. Cover and rest for 30 minutes — this gives tender, lacy crêpes.
2. Heat a 20cm non-stick crêpe pan over medium heat and wipe with a little butter. Ladle in about 3 tbsp batter, swirling to coat thinly. Cook 45–60 seconds until the edges lift and lace with gold, flip and cook 20 seconds more. Stack on a plate under a cloth. You should get 12 crêpes.
3. Make the Suzette butter: beat the softened butter with the sugar and orange zest until pale and fluffy. This is your flavour base — don't skip creaming it.
4. Melt the Suzette butter in a wide frying pan (or a copper pan at the table over a burner) over medium heat. Let it bubble to a light caramel, about 2 minutes, then pour in the orange juice and lemon juice. Simmer 5–6 minutes until glossy and slightly syrupy.
5. Fold each crêpe in half, then in half again to make a triangle. Slide them into the sauce, overlapping, and spoon the sauce over so each one drinks it up. Warm through for 2 minutes.
6. Add 3 tbsp Grand Marnier to the pan and let it heat for 15 seconds.
7. At the table, warm the brandy in a small ladle, pour it over the crêpes and — standing back, sleeves rolled, hair tied — touch a long match to the edge of the pan. Let the flames dance until they die out on their own, basting the crêpes with the burning sauce for extra drama.
8. Serve two or three crêpes per person with plenty of sauce and a spoon of crème fraîche or ice cream.