PastureLand - Organic Grass-Fed Dairy Butter and Cheese by Mail Order

PastureLand’s Chef Bret is back with a great winter weekend breakfast idea. Bret told us he has eaten these the past three weekends – someone had to do it – and he’s going to stop tweaking the recipe…for now.

Get your ingredients ready ahead of time, and read carefully. “Making crêpes takes a little preparation but the payoff is phenomenal.”

Saturday Morning Breakfast Crêpes with Flambéed Bananas
Makes 30 8-inch crêpes

Crêpe Batter

3 cups organic whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted PastureLand butter
6 large free-range eggs, room temperature
1 ½ cups (6 ¾ ounces) all-purpose organic flour
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch salt *Clarified butter, melted or brushing crêpe pans

The day before cooking crêpes, make the batter. In a small pan, heat the milk and butter until steaming; cool to room temperature. In a blender add the cooled milk/butter mixture, eggs, flour, sugar and salt. Blend until mixture is completely combined. (Note: if the milk is too hot, it will cook the eggs, which is not what you want.) Place in a covered bowl and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Making the crêpes: Using a whisk, mix the batter again and bring to room temperature. (If you think there may be lumps from the flour, strain through a sieve before proceeding.) Place a seasoned 8-inch crêpe pan over medium heat until just smoking. Brush the surface of the pan with melted clarified butter. (Note: If using an 8-inch non-stick skillet, brush with the clarified butter before heating.) Add about 2 ½ to 3 tablespoons batter and swirl to cover the surface of the crêpe pan or about ¼-inch up the sides of the non-stick skillet. (I use a ¼ cup ladle for transferring the batter to the pan.)

Cook until the bottom of the crêpe just begins to brown, about 1 minute, then carefully lift an edge and flip the crêpe with your fingers or use a silicone spatula. Unless you have asbestos fingers, I’d suggest using the silicone spatula.

Cook on the other side between 5 – 10 seconds. Flip the crêpe onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Repeat until you have 30 perfect crêpes.

For the Banana Filling
Makes filling for 12 crêpes

6 tablespoons (3 ounces PastureLand unsalted butter)
½ cup granulated sugar
4 barely ripe organic bananas, ¼-inch slice
2/3 cup freshly squeezed organic orange juice or 1/3 cup orange liqueur and plus 1/3 cup orange juice
1 cup pecan halves or pieces
12 crêpes (wrap remaining crêpes in plastic wrap and freeze for later use)

If using the orange liqueur/orange juice combination:
Heat butter and sugar in a 10-inch non-stick skillet until sugar is melted.

Off heat add liqueur and flambé (light on fire.) (Note: turn off exhaust fan and stand back. Let flames die down before returning pan to cook-top.) After flames have died down, return the pan to the heat and add the orange juice. Cook until the orange juice has reduced and allow any sugar that may have crystallized to melt. Proceed with the bananas…

If using only orange juice:
Heat butter, sugar and orange juice in a 10-inch non-stick skillet until sugar is melted and liquid is syrupy. Proceed with the bananas…

Add bananas and pecan pieces and cook about 1 minute just to heat bananas through. Divide banana/pecan mixture between 12 crêpes. Roll up or fold into quarters each crêpe. Divide crêpes among four plates. Top with whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg. Serves 4.

Making clarified butter or ghee:
Cut 1 pound of PastureLand unsalted butter into 1-inch pieces. Heat butter, bringing just to a boil in a 1-to 1 ½ -quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat then reduce heat to low. Skim foam off the surface of the butter as it forms. (Note: The butter will pop and sizzle as the water from the butter evaporates.)

Continue to cook butter until milky white solids fall to bottom of pan, about 8 minutes. Continue to cook butter, watching constantly and swirling pan occasionally to prevent burning, until butter turns golden and becomes translucent and fragrant, 16 to 18 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour off the butter into a heatproof container leaving the milk solids in the pan. Keep butter refrigerated in a covered container.

Need a hard copy? Print the pdf below.