Chef Amanda Makes Crepes

December 20, 2012 Amanda

For Thanksgiving at my parents this year I made a traditional Beef Wellington. You may not realize that in a traditional Beef Wellington the tenderloin is wrapped in crepes before being wrapped in puff pastry. It keeps the puff pastry from absorbing the juices from the meat and mushroom so that it doesn’t become soggy and discolored. I remember when crepes were fashionable. One of the first sit down restaurants that I went to with friends as a young adult was called the Magic Pan and it was a creperie. I fell in love with both their sweet and savory crepes and loved to watch the chef making the crepes with the little wooden stick and spinning flat top cooking surface. I never made them myself until culinary school.Crepes are basically very slim pancakes. The batter is a bit thinner and eggier than pancakes. You will need a ten inch nonstick skillet and a plastic spatula. This is another terrific recipe to try with the kids, and while you’re at it, you can make a big batch. They freeze very well–simply layer with wax or parchment paper, wrap in several layers of plastic wrap, and freeze in a zip top bag. They also thaw very quickly. The recipe couldn’t be easier:

Ingredients

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup whole milk
2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter

Method

Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.

Add eggs and ½ cup of the milk to a well in the center of the flour.

Whisk the eggs and milk together slowly pulling in the flour.

Gradually whisk in the rest of the milk. The batter can sit for about an hour at this point.

In a 10-inch, nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-low.

Swirl to coat the pan and pour the excess in a small bowl.

Whisk 2 Tbs. of the melted butter into the batter.

Use the rest to recoat the pan when/if necessary. Turn the heat up to medium high and add ¼ cup of the batter.

Swirl the pan around so that the batter evenly coats the bottom.

When the crepe is just starting to get golden brown spots on the bottom, flip and cook the other side until it is lightly browned.

It takes about 1 minute per side.

Separate them using wax or parchment paper and cool.

This recipe makes about 14 crepes and it doubles and triples well.

Sweet Potato Chronicles

Some interesting variations to the recipe include adding to your taste finely chopped fresh herbs such as chives, rosemary, parsley, savory, basil, cilantro, dill or thyme. You can also add spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, or allspice.

Crepes can be used for sweet or savory dishes. Some folks use them in place of lasagna noodles, particularly in white lasagnas. Some great filling combinations include: mushrooms and steak strips, ham and swiss cheese, eggs and crumbled bacon or sausage, ratatouille, goat cheese and pickled artichoke hearts, shredded chicken and cream sauce, duck confit and caramelized onions, mixed berries and whipped cream, nutella and banana slices, preserves and brie, custard and strawberries, the list could be endless because the more you make them the more ideas you come up with. They’re easy to make and sound so impressive on your holiday menu. I like to create a little “make your own crepe” bar for guests. Have the crepes made and at room temperature and surround them with various filling options and let people create their own combinations. It’s great for family gatherings and even kids birthday parties.