Chef Ken’s love of cooking began when his father moved his family from California to Yvoire, France. He achieved national recognition at age 21 at the famous Los Angeles restaurant La Guillotine and has continued that meteoric rise ever since. Today helming his critically acclaimed and heavily awarded Napa Valley institution, La Toque, Chef Ken continues to set the bar for excellence and change the way we experience the world around us through food.
A NEW YEAR means many different things to every single person, but the one thing common to all of us when staring into the future is the unknown. What waits for us on the next page of the calendar is a mystery that cannot be solved until we arrive.
For some, that intrigue inspires excitement and hope – for others, fear and trepidation. Only one thing is certain, change will come. And all change, yes, even good change, invites stress along for the ride.
How do we at Reflux Gourmet like to handle stress? By eating, of course! We asked Chef Ken to share a recipe with our amazing community that can be as varied as everything that may be just around the next corner. A celebratory brunch? A spur of the moment lunch? Dinner after a long day? Well, the answer is always crepes.
However your stress comes dressed, in whatever form your joy presents itself, may the year ahead bring all of the change that makes life full; and may you find the strength to greet each opportunity with the grit, courage, and leaps of faith that ultimately make us who we are. Here’s to silver linings, and may they all be served with a delicious plate of Strawberry Crepes.
From Chef Ken’s kitchen to yours. Enjoy!
Crepes with Sautéed Strawberries
(serves 4)
Crepes are fun and easy to make, and they offer incredible versatility. With a little practice, you'll quickly master the technique. This version has long been a favorite of mine. The subtle nutty flavor from browning the butter before adding the fruit is key. You can make the crepes early in the day and just warm them in a hot oven with butter before finishing and serving at dessert time – or start your day with a beautiful indulgence. In the summertime, I like to use fresh sliced peaches instead of berries; vanilla ice cream is always a good sub for the whipped cream, too. In short, this is a recipe to carry you through the year in many iterations!
Batter
2 ounces sweet butter
2 whole XL eggs
2/3 cup all purpose flour
¾ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
Melt the butter. Whisk together eggs, flour, and salt until smooth; then continue whisking in warm melted butter, then continue whisking in the milk. The mixture should be smooth and pretty runny. It is always advisable to let crepe batter rest so the bubbles from mixing can dissipate. If necessary, you may need to thin the batter with a little more milk to obtain thin delicate crepes.
Melt some additional butter to cook the crepes. Heat a crepe pan on the stovetop over low/medium heat, brush with a little butter. Ladle one fluid ounce (2 tablespoons) of crepe batter into the pan while tipping and turning to thinly coat the entire pan. Cook for about 45 seconds until golden brown, flip and finish cooking on the other side. Slide the crepe out of the pan onto your work surface and repeat. If the first crepe is a little too thick, thin the batter with a little milk.
Sautéed Strawberries
2 baskets of strawberries, slivered
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons sugar
Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until the butter is a rich nutty brown, add the strawberries and sugar, cook for 3 or 4 minutes until everything comes together to make a nice sauce.
TO SERVE
Fold the warm crepes into quarters and place 2 on each plate and spoon the strawberries on top. I like to finish with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted almonds.
