three recipes for a successful Candlemas – Liberation
We may believe that there is nothing simpler to make than pancake batter, but that’s without counting these annoying lumps that never fail to invite themselves there, nor our lack of imagination that condemns us to perpetually prepare pancakes without charm or great relief. For a Candlemas worthy of the name, this year, we have therefore compiled the recipe for Benoît Castel’s dough, flavored with orange peel, lemon, rum and vanilla, a homemade filling recipe (it will have little effect), drawn from Jam Fairy Christine Ferber’s immense knowledge and, finally, a trick for turning leftover pancakes the next day into a savory snack. She takes out her whip and follow the guide.
We no longer need to introduce you to the Parisian pastry chef, who gives us his crepe recipe, a little more elaborate than that of our childhood, as Candlemas approaches. But it’s worth zest and mixing. For more flavours, he recommends preparing this mixture at least the day before and storing it in the fridge (covered to prevent the mixture from absorbing any fridge odours).
For about twenty pancakes you will need: 30 g of unsalted butter; 190 g of flour; 60 g of granulated sugar; 1 pinch of salt; 4 eggs; 430 g of whole milk; 1 orange and 1 lemon, preferably organic or untreated; 20 g of amber rum if you want; 1 vanilla pod.
In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, salt, vanillin and orange and lemon zest. Then gradually add the eggs, mix well to obtain a homogeneous preparation. Heat a third of the milk with the butter to melt it. Once completely melted, add the rest of the milk and mix. Gradually add to pancake batter and mix well (stir as needed). Grease a pancake pan. Cook a ladle of batter each time. Serve hot.
And if you want to step aside, you can start making pancakes from other culinary cultures: baghrirs with orange blossom like in the Maghreb, pumpkin spice pancakes like in the United States, scones like in England, or plantain fritters like in Bamako…
Candelora can be an opportunity to prepare a winter jam to accompany your pancakes. In this regard, Christine Ferber (1) is no longer presented, nicknamed “the fairy of jams” as her creations have seduced the greatest palates (Alain Ducasse, Maison Troisgros, Pierre Gagnaire, etc.) and have conquered the taste buds of the whole world from his home village of Niedermorschwihr in Alsace, where the family pastry-chocolate-jam factory is located. Then try his “citrus jam with candied ginger”, a promise as tasty as it is warm for a February 2nd.
You need 800 g of oranges, or 500 g once prepared; 800 g of grapefruit, i.e. 500 g net; 2 untreated lemons; 800 g of granulated sugar; 300 g candied ginger, diced (from Asian grocery stores).
Cut the raw oranges and grapefruits, removing the white peel. Cut them into 1 cm thick slices. Remove the seeds and cut the slices into quarters. Rinse and brush the lemons with fresh water and cut them into very thin slices. In a jam bowl mix the citrus fruit, sugar and candied ginger cubes. Bring to the boil and pour this cooking into a bowl. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and put in the fridge overnight.
The next day, pour this mixture into the jam bowl and bring to the boil, stirring gently. Skim and continue to cook over high heat for five to ten minutes, stirring constantly. To get the perfect texture, Christine Ferber recommends checking the “tablecloth.” The jam must mark 105°C on the sugar thermometer, i.e. at the top. If you don’t have a thermometer, put a few drops of jam on a plate and check the consistency. Immediately put the jam in the jars and cover. Christine Ferber also suggests tasting this jam with a Fontainebleau or whipped white cheese.
If you want to launch yourself into a stellar dessert, you can also top your chiboust creme pancakes with pralines and dried fruit, according to Anne-Sophie Pic’s recipe (which we detail here).
On Friday, if you have any leftover pancakes, you can turn them into a savory snack. With some soup and a salad, it also becomes a complete meal. Since there are citrus fruits in the dough, you need to choose ingredients that are not offended by the acidity of the lemon and the roundness of the orange. For example, we put smoked salmon or trout on a fresh cheese base such as Saint-Moret or Carré frais. A pinch or two of pepper, a few sprigs of chives or spring onions, and all you have to do is roll up the pancakes or stack them like a cake.
On a goat cheese base you can grate cooked beetroot and granny smith apple, and season everything with walnuts and coriander. In the vegetarian version, a base of bush or a little peppered and salted raw cream can also play the trick, garnished with thin slices of radish, dried or candied tomatoes, unseasoned grated carrots, fresh spinach, a little lemon zest in more and aromatic herbs.
(1) My jams by Christine Ferber, with the complicity of Gilles and Laurence Laurendon. Foreword by Alain Ducasse. (ed. Payot, 2020, 10 euros).
