Cyril Lignac’s Mom’s Secret for Light and Fluffy Crepes Revealed!

Pancakes can be served with sugar, jam, draped in chocolate sauce, topped with a dome of whipped cream, or flambeed with Grand Marnier, always presented in their finest form to delight our taste buds. But toppings alone don’t make the pancake. The real success lies in perfecting the batter. And let’s not pretend it’s as easy as pie or cake.

The ideal pancake batter, which should be both thin and soft, too often ends up either too thick (like a concrete block) or too dry (like a chip). In pursuit of the best texture, everyone has their own little trick. Some recommend using whole milk or adding a generous amount of melted butter to the batter to keep it soft and melt-in-your-mouth. Others believe it’s all in the cooking technique. They advise pouring the batter into a hot pan and flipping the pancake as soon as it starts to golden slightly, not waiting for it to brown. The most meticulous even stack them one by one on a plate covered with aluminum foil to retain moisture and prevent drying out.

Cyril Lignac, however, champions a different approach, one perfected by his mother, which he meticulously observed as a child. “She always added water to the pancake batter,” he shared on RTL Matin. Not only is this method cost-effective, but it also beneficially alters the consistency of the batter. By diluting the milk with water, steam is created during cooking, resulting in lighter, fluffier pancakes. What about adding alcohol or spirits? While they flavor the batter, they do not lighten it as significantly: “Rum adds flavor, so does beer, […], but it’s the water that brings lightness!” the chef from Aveyron concludes without hesitation.

So, the next time you pull out your pancake pan for Candlemas (or sooner, because why wait?), heed this wise advice from mom: substitute part of the milk with water. Your pancakes will turn out airier, tenderer, and more budget-friendly to boot!