Kingfish World Famous Homemade Blueberry Crepes
When I was a squirt, after learning how to make hot cereal, the next adventure was pancakes. I grew up on
Bisquick and hated
Krusteaz; one is made with milk and eggs, and the other is water ~
yuck! In the Boy Scouts – it was the latter and I @#$% hated it!
Later when my Mom got a blender it came with a recipe book and in that was a guide how to make crepes using flour, eggs, and milk, and possibly leavening agent (I can’t quite remember). Anyways, I made millions of them and figured out a way to make a whole batch but freeze the leftovers so I could just pop them in the oven or nuker for a quick snack.
Years have gone by and I still used Bisquick. Then one day I read the ingredients:
Enriched flour bleached (wheat flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic acid), partially hydrogenated soybean and/or Cottonseed oil, Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Dextrose, Salt.
And I thought, screw that –
I’m going to make pancakes from scratch. I didn’t have the crepes recipe anymore though it had to be really basic. I prefer thin pancakes to thick ones; I’ll tell you how to make them fluffy if you want that, however the essential recipe is this:
- 3 Fresh large eggs. I prefer brown; doesn’t make a world of difference really.
- A splash of milk; at least ½ cup. Whole makes a better pancake, though 2% is healthier. Buttermilk works too. I don’t measure this cos it’s all about consistency and you have to add enough to thin the batch out to suit your taste. You can substitute water but I hates it.
- A splooge of whole wheat flour. Again, ½ cup minimum; balance the flour with the milk to get the right consistency. Too little four and your pancakes come out eggy, and if too much then it’s like a hardtack biscuit.
- Pinch of salt; required IMO and it really needs to be a pinch and no more.
Extras that make it distinctive:
- Flax Seed; 1 to 2 tbsp. Good fiber, adds protein & omegas, nutty flavor. Don’t go hogwild.
- Cinnamon; a dash or two for character!
- Nutmeg for the same reason.
- Allspice cos I have it.
- Ginger to give it a lift.
I used to add melted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, but that’s better for waffles.
Thick verses Thin:
Crepes are
thin, thin, thin. I like mine with enough flour to keep them from being eggy, and you need enough milk to make them thin, but don’t go too much or they begin to fall apart as they expand; they also take too long to cook with too much milk. Experiment and you’ll see.
Thicker is for
pancakes. Use less milk, more flour, and a leavening agent if you want them taller. Take heed and beware: A tiny bit of leavening agent goes a looong way! Start out with a pinch and work up. I’ve tried both Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Soda will taste salty if you add too much; ok for biscuits – but not so for pancakes. I’ve had better luck and control with Baking Power.
Rumford’s is Aluminum-free, using Monocalcium phosphate + Sodium bicarbonate & cornstarch.
Cooking:
I prefer a whisk and mix my ingredients well. A shallow 10-inch Teflon pan on medium-low to medium is best when starting out, and I like to prime it with a small dollop of fresh butter, 1 tsp is enough, and use a plastic spatula to spread it around to coat the bottom. The first crepe/pancake is sacrificial; they never quite brown right but are still plenty edible. For crepes I pour enough in to nearly fill the bottom. Pancakes depends on style; single big one or two or three little guys – whatever flips your boat. As soon as the topside firms and is not runny, flip them over.
My M.O. is to have maple syrup handy. I used to make my own with sugar and extract, but now I’m spoiled on the real critter. As one crepe is cooking I’ll be devouring the one I just made. About the time I’m finished with the one on the plate, the one in the pan is ready to flip.
In the past I used to make cheese for cheese blintz but I lost that recipe. I think it was something like cutting cream cheese with milk – though don’t quote me. It’s way off my diet, so no worries. Yoghurt will do in a pinch, just don’t add too much.
Substitutions:
I've tried buttermilk and yoghurt to replace milk for differing flavors. Yoghurt leans a nice tart zing and might be just the ticket for some out there.
With the fruit, after I flip the crepe then I pile on the fruit to one side and fill it to about 1/3 the size. When the bottom is ready I make a ½ taco out of it and simmer on for another 15-20 seconds and then spoon it onto the plate. Add maple syrup or your choice of fruit compote… call it good!
For months I've been trying to make Swedish Pancakes which are giant eggy crepes that curl upwards when they are flipped. The regional pancake house stopped making them about three years a go. They are topped with powered sugar, butter, and fresh-squeezed lemon for a real tangy taste. I'm thinking Lingonberries would go great with them too
When I was in college I was taking a double-major, one in Engineering and the other in Art (both general subjects). On the 3rd semester, the Art Department decided to through a pot-luck lunch: People brought all sorts, some of it great, others –
scary. I made fresh cheese blintz and fruit crepes with maple syrup - and had nearly every woman in the room in line! Best way to meet new ladies is to appeal to their natural weakness through the culinary heart. :wink:
Enjoy,
KF
Saw a few dead roaches.
The brown dust is dark coca powder that I sprinkled on the toffee as sort of a glue for the chocolate top. It sucked up any loose oils that were floating in the butter toffee.
