To one who was reared, as I was, in a pious family in a small French town the feasts and fasts of the church calendar are beloved memories; the inward and spiritual grace of the religious observances was always accompanied by the outward and visible signs of feasting and fasting. As a small boy trudging home from school, I had only a vague knowledge of the progression of dares on the Church calendar, but my eyes and nose told me all I needed to know about coming events. The haggling over the price of l'agneau de Pâques, the Easter lamb which Maman had asked the butcher to reserve for her was a sure sign that Easter was not far off. The haunting, slightly pungent smell of la friture, released into the soft spring air by beignets sizzling in the big black frying kettle, signified the approach of Carnaval more vividly than could any mere calendar. Alors, even a baby knew that bowls of crêpe batter on the kitchen table meant that we were on our way to Shrove Tuesday and the beginning of Lent. I confess that for this small boy the food of the holidays may have taken on undue importance!
Of course, beignets and crêpes were not restricted to the Carnaval season; we had them all the year round, but never so frequently or in such quantity. At Carnaval time we had crêpes for luncheon, for supper, and at every holiday party. 1 remember the big girls, my tante Alexandrine, for instance, practicing at tossing the crêpes in big black skillets. Everyone knew that if a girl couldn't toss a large crêpe, have it turn in mid-air and come clown squarely in the center of the pan, she could never hope to get a husband!
I remember, too, my own efforts, Even as a youngster of eight, 1 had determined that I would be a chef; so if mere girls could make crêpes, why not this embryo chef? I waited my chance, and as soon as Maman went out of the kitchen, leaving a bowl of batter unguarded on the table, I fell to work. 1 buttered the pan and poured in some of the batter. Was it enough, or too little? Was the pan hot enough? Was the crêpe browning properly? I didn't know. All I knew was that a crêpe should be tossed, and toss it I did, vigorously. A sticky blub of half-cooked crêpe fell soggily back, half in the pan and half on the hot stove, burning and smelling to high heaven, The end of that little adventure lies mercifully buried in my subconscious! I know now that it takes practice to make good crêpes, but 1 assure you that once you master the technique you will not find it at all difficult. There are a few practical hints that will be useful to the amateur: First, be sure to use a skillet with a bottom heavy enough to hold the heat well and distribute it evenly. A lightweight pan, or a pan that is warped and uneven, will not do. Use a pan just the size of the crêpe you wish to make. It is customary to let the batter stand for two hours or so after it is mixed There is no scientific explanation for this step; it is always done, and it does make better crêpes—perhaps, I have sometimes conjectured, because the flavor of the flour is improved by its milk bath.
Butter the hot crêpe pan lightly; you can brush melted butter on the pan with a pastry brush, or if you like, peel back the paper on a stick of butter and run the stick over the pan. The amount of batter used determines the thickness of the crêpe; a little experimentation will soon show you the best amount to use. To ensure crêpes of uniform size, use a measuring spoon or a ladle. Generally, one and a half tablespoons of batter will be enough for a five-inch crêpe. When the butter is very hot, pour in the batter all at once and quickly tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the pan evenly and forms a perfect round crêpe. This is the critical moment; the batter should spread before it begins to set. The crêpe browns quickly; the top side will begin to look dry in less than two minutes. Lift the edge of the crepe with a spatula to make sure that the bottom is browned, and quickly flip it over. Never turn the crêpe more than once.
If the crêpes are to be reheated for serving, they may be made in advance, as long as a day before they are to be served.
Beignets were the other Carnaval specialty, particularly the kind that are sprinkled with sugar and eaten before they have time to cool. There are several formulas for beignets. Those for this Classes in Classic Cuisine are yeast raised, and resemble American doughnuts. They are delicious. Another time I will take up the beignets that are made with fritter batter and that incorporate vegetables, fish, meat, or fruit, and a third kind made with basic ebon paste, the cream puff mixture. These puff up in the hot fat in which they are cooked. the way a cream pull does in the oven.
One word of caution: Much of the success of beignets depends upon their cooking; the temperature of the fat is of great importance. It must be hot enough to keep the cakes from becoming fat soaked, and yet not so hot that the beignets brown on the outside before the inside cooks. Until you learn from experience what the proper temperature is and how to maintain it, a thermometer is your best guide; 370° F. to 375° F. is the right temperature for beignets. If you do a great deal of deep fat frying, you will enjoy an automatic electric fryer. This appliance is equipped with a thermostat that keeps the fat at the correct temperature, and it will probably repay its purchase price in fat saved, because the fat is spared the destructive processes of accidental overheating.
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