By Chef Rachel Ponce
A New Year’s celebration calls for an appetizer that’s too glamorous for a normal Tuesday night. Go big with these crêpes, an easy recipe that looks and tastes extravagant. Practice makes perfect, so work on rotating the wrist to yield a perfectly circular crêpe. Caviar, while pricey, will set the tone of a party. For those who plan to stay in this year, do yourself a favor and make this for brunch. Then savor it with some bubbles in the Champagne flute.
Grease small skillet, then set aside to cool. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, eggs and butter in blender and blend on high, pausing to scrape down sides in between blends, until silky smooth. Transfer batter to liquid measuring cup with a spout so it’s easily pourable. Heat medium skillet over medium-high heat so it’s hot enough that batter sets immediately upon touching pan.
Make 1 crêpe at a time: Melt ½ tablespoon of butter in pan, just enough to lightly coat surface. Hold pan in one hand off surface of the stove, then pour batter into pan with other hand. Rotate pan 360 degrees while pouring and stop pouring as soon as batter forms thin layer over entire surface of pan. Return pan to heat and cook until edges of crêpe set and become crispy, about 1−2 minutes. Flip and cook 1−2 more minutes, or until cooked through. Let crêpe cool. Repeat for 7 more crêpes.
If serving individually, fold crêpe, dollop with crème fraîche, top with caviar and chives. If serving as appetizer, coat crêpe with layer of crème fraîche and chives, roll up and slice into 1-inch pieces. Serve face up and top with caviar.
