At Midtown Creperie, crepes are the restaurant’s specialty. Dishes include everything from savory lunchtime specials to decadent desserts perfect for breakfast or any time of day. Similar to a pancake, a crepe is a French delicacy known for its flat composition. It’s made similarly to a pancake, but a few minor adjustments recreate the breakfast staple. Melissa Grizzle, owner of Midtown Creperie in Stockton, serves up a mean Soc AU’ LAIT crepe, and she’s letting us in on the secrets to perfect the recipe.
The first step is to make your batter. Melissa calls this particular base golden batter. Using liquid eggs, sugar, salt, flour, vanilla extract, oil, and milk, start by combining the wet ingredients into a stand mixer or bowl—at Midtown they use an oversized immersion blender to stir a large batch of batter, but we don’t expect the average household to have these on hand. Next, mix in the dry ingredients. When you’re finished, grab the rest of your supplies—bananas, strawberries, Nutella, and whip cream (Midtown uses a homemade recipe but store-bought will do)—and head to the stove.
Using an eight-inch skillet pan, pour your batter into the bottom and cook over high heat. Expert Tip: Dowels are the perfect crepe spreaders and help distribute the batter evenly so the finished product stays thin. Use the dowel by placing it in the middle of the crepe and rotating your wrist in a clockwise direction to spread the batter. Once the crepe is flat, use a spatula to flip it over and cook the other side. It takes just a few seconds to finish. Keep in mind: the final product should be golden brown, that’s how you’ll know when to pull it off the stove.
Once you’ve finished the crepe, spread Nutella on the inside and fold the crepe into fourths. Place sliced strawberries and bananas on top and use a spoon to drizzle more Nutella over the fruit and the top of the crepe. Recreate it: put three dollops of whipped cream onto the three corners of the triangular crepe to get the same presentation Midtown Creperie offers. Become an expert: Follow our six steps to the perfect crepe on the next page.
Soc AU’ LAIT
Recipe:
Yields 6.
First, combine all wet ingredients.
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Then, add the dry ingredients into the same bowl.
1 cup flour
1 tsp. sugar
A pinch of salt
Mix until completely combined. Batter should be watery and smooth.
Once you have cooked the crepe, pull it from the skillet and spread Nutella on the inside (let it cool slightly first). Then, fold the crepe into fourths and top with:
1 sliced banana
5 sliced strawberries
3 dollops of whipped cream
Drizzle of Nutella
Step. 1
Combine the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl.
Step 2.
Combine the dry ingredients into the same mixing bowl and mix until watery and smooth.
Step 3.
Pour the batter into the skillet and let cook over high heat until golden brown. Using a dowel, spread the batter evenly in the skillet.
Step 4.
Flip the crepe over and cook for several seconds until golden brown on both sides. Pull from heat and place on a plate.
Step 5.
Fill the crepe with Nutella and fold into fourths.
Step 6.
Finish the crepe with sliced bananas, strawberries, a drizzle of Nutella, powdered sugar, and whipped cream. Enjoy!
Eat Your Heart Out:
Midtown Creperie
2319 Pacific Ave., Stockton
(209) 941-9070
MidtownCreperie.com