Crespes

Crepes, a highly versatile base for many delicious modern dishes, has its origin in the Brittany region of France according to the he Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. The word "crepe", derived from the Latin word crispus, translates to "curly" which is a notable characteristic of this flexible thin style pancake. The earliest reference I can find to the word in France is from the mid 13th century in Le Tretiz an Anglo-Norman poem written by Walter of Bibbesworth.

This recipe is from Le Ménagier de Paris, a 14th century French manuscript.

Original Recipe:

Crespes. Prenez de la fleur et destrempez d'œufs tant moyeux comme aubuns osté le germe, et le deffaites d'eaue, et y mettez du sel et du vin, et batez longuement ensemble : puis mettez du sain sur le feu en une petite paelle de fer, ou moitié sain ou moitié beurre frais, et faites fremier; et adonc aiez une escuelle percée d'un pertuis gros comme vostre petit doit, et adonc mettez de celle boulie dedans l'escuelle en commençant ou milieu, et laissiez filer tout autour de la paelle; puis mettez en un plat, et de la pouldre de succre dessus. Et que la paelle dessusdite de fer ou d'arain tiengne trois choppines, et ait le bort demy doy de hault, et soit aussi large ou dessus comme en bas, ne plus ne moins; et pour cause .

Translation: (by Janet Hinson)

Crepes. Take flour and mix with eggs both yolks and whites, but throw out the germ, and moisten with water, and add salt and wine, and beat together for a long time: then put some oil on the fire in a small iron skillet, or half oil and half fresh butter, and make it sizzle; and then have a bowl pierced with a hole about the size of your little finger, and then put some of the batter in the bowl beginning in the middle, and let it run out all around the pan; then put on a plate, and sprinkle powdered sugar on it. And let the iron or brass skillet hold three chopines, and the sides be half a finger tall, and let it be as broad at the bottom as at the top, neither more nor less; and for a reason..

My Translation

Crepes
The Recipe

As with many of the recipes found in manuscripts of the Middle Ages, this recipe does not provide specific proportions of the ingredients. A thin batter, like the one I provide in my interpretation of this recipe creates a dish similar to a modern crepe. A thicker batter cooked in more oil may result in a dish more like a funnel cake. The description of the skillet used in the recipe appears to be a skillet with narrow sides and little to no slanting. A funnel cake interpretation of the recipe would need a skillet with taller sides in order to allow the funnel cake to be deep fried. It is also possible to have an intepretation between these two types of recipes.