A weekend spent in Wellington inspired me to re-create a dish from Ortega Fish Shack’s dessert menu: Crêpes filled with a delicate custard and doused in a caramel orange sauce – I swear they’re the best I’d ever had. This is my attempt at these and they’re very, very good.  

Makes 10-12 crêpes. 

Ingredients 

• 100g plain flour  
• a pinch of salt  
• 2 eggs  
• 300ml milk  
• butter for frying  
• ½ cup store-bought thick custard  
• softly whipped cream  

Orange caramel sauce  

• ½ cup caster sugar  
• 3 tablespoons water  
• zest and juice of 1 orange  
• a splash of brandy or rum  

Method 

1. Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre then break in the eggs and pour in half the milk. Whisk together, gradually incorporating the flour to make a smooth thick batter then stir in the rest of the milk. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.  
2. Heat a little butter in a medium frying pan. Pour about 2-3 tablespoons of batter into the pan, tilting the pan as you pour, until the batter thinly coats the base. Cook over a moderate heat for 30–60 seconds until golden brown on the underside. Then flip and cook the other side for another 30–60 seconds. Repeat with remaining batter.   
3. When the crêpes are cooled, dab a teaspoon of custard and spread it on one quarter. Fold the crêpe in half then over again to form a triangle.  
4. Make the caramel by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan without stirring until it begins to colour, about 4 minutes. Let it bubble and deepen to a light caramel colour before adding in orange zest and juice and alcohol. Simmer for a few minutes more until it thickens.  

To serve:

Return folded and filled crêpes to the pan, drizzle in the caramel sauce and gently heat until crepes are warmed through. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream. Pure decadence!  

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