These delicate pancakes made of egg-and-flour batter are both fun to make and delicious. They are often filled with meat, fish, or vegetables, covered with a sauce, and served as a main course. Dessert crepes are made with a sweeter batter and are often filled with fruit.
Basic Crepe Batter:
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. melted butter
1. Combine eggs and salt in a bowl.
2. Alternately stir in flour and milk. Then beat with a whisk or electric mixer until creamy.
3. Beat in melted butter.
4. Chill batter at least 1 hour.
5. Heat a crepe pan on medium-high heat. Pour the crepe batter into the pan as you would to make a pancake. Swirl the batter to coat the entire bottom of the pan.
6. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the bottom of the crepe becomes firm.
7. Use a fork to gently lift the crepe from the pan. Quickly flip the crepe to cook the other side.
8. Cook for 1 minute or until the crepe just starts to brown. Move the crepe to a plate.
Preparation time: 2 hours
Makes 32 to 36 crepes
Crepes:
1 lb. fresh broccoli spears or 2 8-oz. packages frozen broccoli spears
12 basic crepes
12 thin slices deli ham* (or 1/4 c. chopped onions and 2 c. chopped, fresh mushrooms)
METHOD:
1. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and slice each spear in half.
2. If you are making the vegetarian version, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Remove the pan from heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. Spread out crepes and cover each crepe with a slice of ham or mushroom mix.
5. Place 2 or 3 broccoli spears on top of ham or mushrooms and onions and roll up crepes.
6. Place crepes in a buttered ovenproof dish. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
7. Cover with Mornay sauce and serve.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Makes 12 crepes
Mornay Sauce:
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 c. milk
3 tbsp. grated Swiss cheese
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. mild prepared mustard (Dijon-style is best)
salt and pepper
METHOD:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan.
2. Remove from heat and stir in flour with a whisk.
3. Return to medium heat. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly until sauce is thickened.
4. Add remaining ingredients, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Makes about 1 1/4 c.
*Try substituting a flavored tofu for the ham. Many grocery stores and coop markets offer a range of tasty tofu, such as Thai and Italian. Cut up the tofu in bite-sized chunks and add to the crepes, following the directions in Step 4 of the crepe recipe. (You may prefer to skip the Mornay Sauce if you choose to add tofu to your crepes.)