Jacques Pépin's Butter Tip For Quicker Crepes

Making light crepes with those unmistakable crispy edges and pillowy centers requires just the right setup. Efficiency is key here. But there's absolutely nothing to be intimidated about with this versatile and classic French pancake that can be made with both sweet and savory fillings. A warm, perfect crepe wrapped around something delicious, like creamy, crockpot chicken marsala or pineapple dulce de leche crepes is truly an experience. The subtle, buttery richness of a crepe complements almost any filling you can imagine, and there's one surefire way to incorporate it with ease every time you make crepes.

On PBS' "American Masters," Jacques Pépin explains it best, saying, "In a medium bowl, combine flour, half of the milk, egg, salt, and sugar and mix until smooth. Add the rest of the milk, two tablespoons of water, if needed, and the melted butter from the pan to make a thin batter." Yes, he says to melt the butter in the pan. It's efficient because the pan is greased with the melted butter, and the melted butter is used in the recipe.

Melting the butter for crepe batter also distributes flavor evenly (bonus points if you want to make brown butter for your crepes) and keeps them moist, but be sure to follow the recipe. Too much butter, and you'll wind up with a spongy semblance of a pancake. And pancakes, even thin, fancy French ones, shouldn't be complicated. They should only be delicate, delicious, and simple.

Now that we know how to mix the ingredients, we need the right tools. Mixing crepe batter with an electric whisk that's either attached to your immersion blender or a hand mixer is the way to go (quickly); it is just enough to incorporate some air bubbles and knock out the lumps. This is how traditional pancake batter differs from crepe batter. With crepes, we're going for thin, smooth, and bubbly. And don't fret about letting crepe batter rest. While some creperies let their batter rest for two days, we know brunch is in one hour, and you're still wearing pajamas underneath your apron. It's okay. You can lose the fuss and let the batter rest while you finish setting up the perfect crepe assembly line. They'll taste just as delicious.

Next, use a skillet or a non-stick pan. There are a few ways to pour the crepe batter in, and you don't necessarily need a special tool to swirl it around. You can use a ladle to pour the batter with one hand and rotate the pan with the other, so the crepe batter spreads evenly. Pour the excess out if it's too much. Or, forget about it all and buy a spinning crepe maker for under $50. Lastly, keep extra melted butter on hand. Use it to keep the skillet greased and for the perfect touch of that subtle butter flavor, especially for those crispy edges.