By Laura Rancie.
As Jour des Crêpes nears on February 2, this article is all about exploring the delightful pairing options available to crêpe lovers across Australia.
In Brittany and in all places authentic galettes are served, the most popular version on any menu is the 'complete'. A buckwheat square-shaped galette filled with Emmental cheese, ham, fresh cracked black pepper and topped with a fried egg.
This type of authentic French dish would pair well with a dry white wine although when focusing in on the slightly more rough and rustic texture of a galette, a Pinot Noir from Burgundy would be an excellent choice with its delicate profile, not overpowering the galette flavours.
A crisp white wine with good acidity and minerality such as a Chardonnay would work well too, as another option.
Of course, if you choose to venture into more traditional and region-specific galettes, such as one topped with blood sausage or merguez and apple compote and even baked apple, an aromatic Pinot Gris could match the sweet, caramelised notes of the apple.
If you are in more coastal French regions, perhaps a seafood galette would feature coquille St Jacques or saumon fumé (smoked salmon) in which you would resort back to a dry white wine.
Sweet crêpes, with their sweet gooey fillings, are a different story.
Take the classic crêpe Suzette with caramelised butter with orange and citrus notes that come to life by the pouring over of a flaming Grand Marnier on top. If you were in Brittany or any classic crêperie this would be accompanied by a glass of sweet cider, or it would be a small ceramic bowl of sweet cider however a fortified muscat would also do the trick. At home perhaps you'd reach for a sweet white wine, or if you prefer bubbles then a Brut could be your go-to for a chocolate-filled crêpe, like Nutella with a side of berries.
Also, a good option for these sweet chocolate-filled, or salted caramel crêpes would be a dessert wine like a Sauterne with its rich flavour profiling notes of honey and apricot. Its high sugar content and creamy texture would well balance out the sweetness and smoothness of the crêpe.
If you are keen to make your own authentic recipe at home, we've dug into the archives and found great Armagnac and Mango, Crepe recipe perfect for summer.
Happy kitchen adventures, home cooks!
