The Perfect Savory Crepes
Ronnie and I were in Paris this summer for the 2024 Olympics, which was quite a spectacle! Athletes floating down the Seine, music, dancing, a fashion show taking place on one of the bridges celebrating up-and-comer designers in the area. It was really cool. We were there celebrating and supporting one of my best friends, Lauren Doyle, whom I played Women’s Rugby with in College, and whom played in her THIRD Olympics this summer (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024). When we weren’t at the Stade de France (where the Rugby games were held), we were making friends with people from around the world, and finding the best food in town. In fact, we even met a pastry chef studying at Le Cordon Bleu Paris… I think I will try and convince her to share a recipe with all of us :)
I’ve always been a fan of the crepe (there used to be a Creperie in New Buffalo, Michigan that I went to every single weekend for about my entire life called Pierre Anne’s), and so it felt like a suitable recipe to learn when we returned home to bring a little of the memory of Paris back to my family and friends.
Before we get started, here’s a few things to know about making crepes —
You can swap wheat flour for alternative flours, so if you prefer an almond flour or something else, feel free to try a 1-for-1 swap. I do 1/2 wheat flour and 1/2 almond flour, because we really like the nutty texture.
You can mix up your liquid of choice, some recipes call for beer, others for heavy cream, still others for 1/2 milk 1/2 water, so play around with your liquid as well to get the exact flavor you want. We’ve tried a few different ones, I prefer to go the milk route, the heavier the better if you want to go on a calorie splurge :) It’s worth it IMO.
The goal of your crepe batter is to make sure it is as smooth as possible without over-working the batter. Perfectly done batter delivers a tender, delicious crepe; over-worked batter delivers a tougher crepe.
Ingredients for the best savory crepes you’ll ever have:
For the crepes:
1 cup plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups of whole milk
1/2 cup butter, melted, plus extra to cook
For the filling:
1 small onion, finely chopped
8oz cremini, brown or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tbs rosemary and/or thyme
8oz diced ham
1 cup grated gruyère cheese
2 tbs olive oil (or butter)
Salt and pepper, to taste
First, prepare your crepe batter:
Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the middle and whisk in half the eggs, followed by half the milk. Add remaining eggs and milk, then stir in the melted butter. Cover and leave to stand for at least hour, longer would be even better. (Note: The mix should be the consistency of a heavy cream (if it’s too thick, stir in a little more milk, too thin, add some flour).
Next, prepare your crepe filling:
Heat oil in a heavy skillet set over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and mushrooms until soft, add rosemary, salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the ham and cheese. Remove from stovetop and set aside, or reduce heat all the way to keep warm while you make crepes.
After, let’s cook our crepes:
Warm a frying pan over a medium-high heat and grease with butter. Give your crepe batter a good whisk to recombine before cooking, and start a test-crepe with a little batter. When the batter hits the pan should sizzle and the edges should brown and crispen in a matter of a few seconds, turn heat up or down depending on how the test goes.
With your heat properly set, pour in ladleful of batter tilting the pan to cover the base, and tipping any excess batter back into the bowl. Cook until you can the edges turn brown, then loosen with spatula and flip (~30-40 seconds each side). As your crepe finishes, sprinkle on cheese and let it melt slightly, then spoon your filling on top of the cheese and fold the filling in.
Serve immediately, or store in a warm oven until you’re ready to enjoy!
Bon Appetit! Enjoy a fabulous breakfast that honestly feels so special for guests and family alike! My favorite thing to do is share a few of my favorite french words and phrases with whomever I am serving:
“Oui” means “Yes” but “Ouai” means “Yeah”
“Bon Appetit” means “Enjoy Your Meal”
“Très bien” means “Very good”
“Merci” means “Thank you”
“La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin.” means “Life is too short to drink bad wine.”
