Bonjour! This is a slightly long one since it’s packed with a review, a class and a recipe. Remember the Hot Chocolate post I did earlier this month? (Incidentally, it got featured in Los Angeles Times – Food!) I had written about Suzette, the French Creperie & Cafe in Mumbai, which does the best hot chocolate in town. And as promised, here is a more detailed post about one of my favourite cafes. Suzette has two outlets – in Nariman Point & Bandra. I have been to the Nariman Point branch several times. It’s small, yet cosy and the interiors are done up in warm tones. It also offers outdoor seating – limited to a couple of tables. The cafe has a small book corner, stacked with French books and magazines.
Suzette’s specialty is their crepe,
which comes with a wide variety of fillings – both sweet and savoury. In fact,
the cafe is named after the Queen of Crepes – the Crepe Suzette – a delicious
creation with orange caramel flavoured with orange blossom water. You can get
your sweet crepes with Nutella, melted Belgian chocolate, honey, fresh fruits,
nuts, seasonal fruit compote…
which comes with a wide variety of fillings – both sweet and savoury. In fact,
the cafe is named after the Queen of Crepes – the Crepe Suzette – a delicious
creation with orange caramel flavoured with orange blossom water. You can get
your sweet crepes with Nutella, melted Belgian chocolate, honey, fresh fruits,
nuts, seasonal fruit compote…
Among the savoury crepes, my favourites arethe Bleu
(a flavourful combination of blue cheese, mozzarella, fresh cream and toasted
walnuts) and the Campagne (with chicken bacon, goat cheese, honey and toasted
walnuts). You can also make your own crepe by choosing your fillings – like this
one – with asparagus, goat cheese, fig & pine nuts.
Another winner is their original creation – Croque
Suzette – midway between a crepe and a sandwich. The Croque
Feta, with fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, creamed spinach & feta is delicious,
especially if you choose to add some ham to it!
The cafe also offers a wide range of salads,with the Ete, being one of the most popular – a refreshing mix of
roquette, oranges, pomegranate, zucchini, seasonal fruits, toasted almonds,
mint and parsley, dressed with a citrus vinaigrette. Truly, summer in a bowl!
In the drinks menu, apart from the Hot Chocolateand the equally excellent Cappuccino, I highly recommend the Cafe
Viennois – an Americano, topped with whipped cream. The cafe also
offers breakfast options and an economical lunch for one, with a crepe of the
day, a mini salad and a choice of tea, espresso or cappuccino. Detailed menu here.
While compiling this post, I spoke to one of
the co-owners of Suzette, Antonia and not only did she share
all the photos you see here, but she also agreed to share their recipe for the Crepe
Batter and for their signature dish Crepe Complete! So read
on and learn how to master this centuries-old traditional French recipe. If you
want to learn hands-on, Suzette is holding a crepe making class at their
Nariman Point branch on Sunday Feb 24th at 5 p.m. Details here.
the co-owners of Suzette, Antonia and not only did she share
all the photos you see here, but she also agreed to share their recipe for the Crepe
Batter and for their signature dish Crepe Complete! So read
on and learn how to master this centuries-old traditional French recipe. If you
want to learn hands-on, Suzette is holding a crepe making class at their
Nariman Point branch on Sunday Feb 24th at 5 p.m. Details here.
And now, over to Antonia…
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Equipment
At Suzette,
we use a professional crepe griddle to make our crepes. But unless you plan to
do crepes every day, there’s no need to invest in such equipment; a simple
non-stick pan will work well. Cast-iron crepe pans are also sold for domestic
use (check Le Creuset for example).
we use a professional crepe griddle to make our crepes. But unless you plan to
do crepes every day, there’s no need to invest in such equipment; a simple
non-stick pan will work well. Cast-iron crepe pans are also sold for domestic
use (check Le Creuset for example).
Recipe of
crepe batter
crepe batter
Our savoury
crepes are made of organic buckwheat imported from France. This not being
available in India, here is a neutral batter recipe, which can be eaten with
sweet or savoury fillings.
crepes are made of organic buckwheat imported from France. This not being
available in India, here is a neutral batter recipe, which can be eaten with
sweet or savoury fillings.
Ingredients:
- 250gm Refined wheat flour (Maida)
- 2 Eggs
- A pinch of Salt
- 500ml Milk
(not skimmed)
For sweet
crepes, you can add 75g of caster sugar, as well as a few drops of vanilla
sugar, orange blossom water or flavoured essence of your choice.
crepes, you can add 75g of caster sugar, as well as a few drops of vanilla
sugar, orange blossom water or flavoured essence of your choice.
Method:
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs (and sugar if you are doing only
sweet crepes). - Add the flour
little by little while whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. - When the
batter is getting thick, gradually add in some milk, stirring to combine. - Add the salt.
- Whisk gently
until smooth. - If you see
lumps, strain the batter. - Let the batter rest for at
least 1 hour.
Cooking
method:
method:
- Heat your
pan over medium high flame for about 2 minutes. - Lightly
grease the pan with a cotton cloth or kitchen roll dipped in vegetable oil - Pour one
ladle of batter (approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe) in the centre of the pan
and tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface
evenly. - Cook the
crepe until the bottom is light brown (about 1 min). - Loosen
with a spatula, turn and cook the other side (about 30 sec) - Spread
your fillings on the crepe and wait until the fillings are hot / melted - Fold,
serve and eat immediately.
Crepe
Complete
Complete
The French
best-seller – Sunny-side up egg, Emmenthal cheese & Ham
best-seller – Sunny-side up egg, Emmenthal cheese & Ham
Break the egg
in the centre of your crepe as if making a sunny-side up egg in a pan (you can
scramble the egg if you don’t like the yolk runny), add grated emmenthal cheese
and sliced cooked ham around the egg. Fold the edges of the crepe around the
yolk to make a square. Wait for the cheese to be melted before serving. You can
replace emmenthal with mozzarella and ham with chicken bacon. Bon appetit!
in the centre of your crepe as if making a sunny-side up egg in a pan (you can
scramble the egg if you don’t like the yolk runny), add grated emmenthal cheese
and sliced cooked ham around the egg. Fold the edges of the crepe around the
yolk to make a square. Wait for the cheese to be melted before serving. You can
replace emmenthal with mozzarella and ham with chicken bacon. Bon appetit!
Ummm… Croque Suzette sounds pretty delicious! Great review, Prachi. Always value your opinion.
Thanks, Pratishtha! The Croque is really yummy! Do give it a try some time 🙂
nice review and clicks.
Thank you! Images are courtesy Suzette.
Lovely post Prachi..My ham & cheese eggs will just get better with the crepe..
Thanks, Delnavaz! Glad you liked it 🙂
i was about to say that i have never been able to make the crepes look good on camera…well hanks for sharing these praci even if its by someone else…at least tells us it can be done 🙂 and congrats on the LA mention
Thanks, Kalyan!
Hi,
Great post.
Where do u get orange blossom water in Bombay?
Thanks. For orange blossom water, you could try Nature's Basket or Foodhall. Also, check out out Gourmet Co. & Foodesto (both online).