Clătite de Duminică
Clătite de Duminică·(cla-TEE-teh deh doo-MEE-nee-kah)
Dulciuri: Weekend Mornings & Nostalgic Sweets
If you grew up in a Romanian household, you know the weekend hasn't truly begun until the smell of warm vanilla and sizzling butter fills the kitchen. Clătite are the Romanian answer to the French crêpe, but entirely devoid of pretense. Every grandmother made these strictly by eye, flipping them effortlessly and stacking them a mile high. There are only three uncompromising rules to replicate that perfect, lacy texture of the homeland: keep the sugar low so they don't scorch, use highly carbonated mineral water to aerate the batter instead of chemical leaveners, and immediately stack the hot crepes under a plate to trap the steam. They are fast enough for a weeknight, but special enough to anchor your Sunday.
Before you start
Bring your dairy to room temperature.
Using room temperature eggs and milk ensures the batter comes together smoothly without seizing the fat or creating stubborn lumps.
Rest the batter.
Letting the fully mixed batter sit at room temperature for 20 minutes allows the flour to hydrate and the gluten to relax. Skip this, and your crepes will tear.
Ingredients
- eggs3 large
- whole milk1 1/2 cup
- all-purpose flour1 cup
- highly carbonated sparkling water1/2 cup
- granulated sugar1 tbsp
- pure vanilla extract1 tsp
- kosher salt1/4 tsp
- neutral oil3 tbsp
- fruit preserves1 cup
Method
- 01
Whisk the wet ingredients.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs, salt, and sugar until pale, then whisk in the milk, vanilla, and oil.
- 02
Incorporate the flour.
Gradually whisk in the flour a quarter cup at a time until the mixture looks like heavy cream, ensuring no lumps remain.
- 03
Fold in the sparkling water.
Gently pour in the sparkling water and whisk just enough to combine, taking care not to destroy the carbonation.
- 04
Heat and grease the skillet.
Heat an 8 to 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat, lightly wiping the surface with an oiled paper towel.
- 05
Coat the pan.
Lift the pan off the heat, pour in about a quarter cup of batter, and immediately swirl to coat the bottom in a thin, even layer.
- 06
Flip and finish.
Cook for about a minute until the edges turn golden and curl away from the pan, confidently slide a spatula underneath to flip, and cook for 30 seconds more.
- 07
Create the steaming stack.
Slide the cooked crepe onto a plate and immediately cover it with another inverted plate to trap the steam while you cook the rest.
- 08
Fill and roll.
Spread a thin layer of preserves across the crepe and roll it into a tight cylinder to serve.
Notes
The first crepe is always a sacrifice.
Consider the first one a chef's snack to gauge pan temperature; the pan gets better seasoned and hotter as you go.
Respect the sugar limit.
American pancake batters are sweet, but authentic Romanian batter contains very little sugar to prevent the thin dough from caramelizing and scorching upon contact with the hot pan.
From Cook Romanian in America.