Crap at Crepes

[myrtleWilson]

So with Shrove Tuesday fast approaching... can I learn how to do crepes properly...??
I'm good with American style pancakes but for some reason pancake day pancakes are beyond me... I imagine (but can't recall exactly) that I've perused the usual suspects for decent crepe recipes so am not sure its an ingredient issue but sadly technique.... So what are your pancake tips?

Have you a flat pan?
Get the pan really hot, that's my tip. Almost smoking.That's why the 1st pancake never works quite as well.

Then just put the batter in and swirl, and when you see bubbles/lumps starting to form, have a gentle look at the side to see if it's time to turn it.

What's going wrong?

Spotted has it.

The first pancake never works.

My recipe is equal weight egg and flour, a good pinch of salt, milk to single cream consistency, and 1/2 an ounce of melted butter for every egg (my kids love pancakes, so I end up making 4 eggs worth). I don't grease the pan, I just give the bowl a quick stir-round to re-distribute the butter when I take the next 1/2 ladle-full

I don't have gas at the moment, and find electric isn't as good for pancakes - each one takes about a minute to cook (on good gas I can turn them out twice as fast). I shake the pan as I pour in 1/2 a ladle-ful, so it's coating the bottom, then I wait for the edges (where it's splashed up the side of the pan a bit) to start looking slightly brown, and the top of the rest to be set, and slightly sweating - at which point I carefully slide my silicone spatula around the edge to loosen it, then underneath to flip it. The second side cooks much quicker.

use a non-stick pan. stainless is just too much hassle, and after about a year, I get a new non-stick pan for pancakes, as the non-stick seems to stop working.

To be fair I've long since abdicated responsibly for pancake day pancakes so my memory of exactly what goes wrong is a little hazy!

Am good for a hot flat pan and the deliciousness of the first pancake which doesn't quite work out being the cooks treat! So don't think its that.

From memory I think its the texture didn't look/taste right so perhaps its in my ladelling - too much/too little...

Put your batter in a jug, which makes it much easier to get the right amount into the pan.

Keep some hot oil in a cup or similar to oil the pan between pancakes, you only need a very small amount.

Make your batter earlier in the day, and let it stand for at least an hour before using, this will make a better, less chewy pancake.