After years of my sister and parents making crepes, my sister came up with a Crepe batter recipe that is perfect. Especially, for those of you who do not wish to wait for the batter to sit. This savory crepe recipe does not need to be in the fridge overnight to remove bubbles! It is ready to use right away. However, even just 15 minutes of letting it sit will make a difference.
This savory crepe recipe does not keep well and needs to be re-blended if stored overnight. Keep for a maximum of two days. If you’d like a few more general tips, here’s an article by Chatelaine that you may find useful.
Savory Crepe Recipe
Ingredients
2 cups of flour
4 eggs
1 cup of milk
1¼ cup water
4 tablespoons of melted butter
½ teaspoon of salt
(For a sweeter recipe, add a teaspoon of vanilla and sugar instead of salt)
Instructions
Blend all ingredients together.
That’s it.
Pretty simple meal prep, right?
Cooking
Depending on who you ask, everyone has their go-to, favorite way, of cooking crepes. In most cases, it is recommended to have a crepe pan, and have it set on your stove at medium heat. If you don’t have a crepe pan yet, that’s okay! You may not get the same results, but I’ve used regular frying pans for years, and they work just fine.
Add a bit of butter to prevent the crepe from sticking to the pan. It also gives the crepe a nice, gold-brown color.
Add a few tablespoons of batter to the pan, lift the pan and using your wrist, swirl the pan so the batter creates a thin, circular layer. When the crepe begins to look dry on top, flip it, or use a spatula to gently guide it onto its other side. During this time, add your “filling”. Strawberries, ham and cheese, chocolate spread, and bananas- it’s up to you. Allow it to cook until cooked through.
Plate, and most of all, enjoy!
Depending on your crepe filling, you can serve it topped with maple syrup, chocolate sauce, more fruits, a custard… the options are endless!
Want to know more about crepes?
With thanks to The Original Pancake House Denver, we have the whole history!
As stated on their website,
“The history of crepes dates back to 13th century Brittany, France. It seems a housewife there accidentally dribbled some thin porridge onto a hot, flat cooktop. Since people back then weren’t inclined to waste even their smallest cooking mistakes, she ate it. The rest, as they say, is history. Of course, this might just be the French equivalent of an urban legend but it does make for a pretty good story.
Origin of Crepes
Another interesting story concerns hearty, earthy buckwheat crepes. This ancient grain was introduced to the Brittany area of northwestern France around the 12th century. Like the other story, thin buckwheat porridge spilled and became a thin, crispy crepe instead. What a delightful change in texture that must have been!
Traditionally, buckwheat crepes are served with savory fillings while the more delicately flavored wheat crepes are served with fruit and other sweet fillings. Want another interesting historical fact about crepes? Whenever milk was in short supply during the Middle Ages, intrepid crepe lovers used a mixture of wine and water as a substitute!
A crepe by any other name
These delicate pancakes are known as ‘crêpes’ in France. Their name comes from Old French ‘crespe’ which traces back to the Latin ‘crispa’ or ‘crispus’ which means curled. This probably refers to their often slightly ruffled edges. A French café that specializes in crepes is known as a crêperie. In Brittany, they still prefer crepes made with local buckwheat flour and use the slightly derisive ‘crêpes de froment’ to refer to crepes made with white flour.
The day of the crepe
In France, that day translates to ‘le jour des crêpes’ and it occurs every February 2nd. Historically, this day was known as the Virgin Mary’s Blessing Day or La Chandeleur (‘the return of the light’) and celebrated the coming return of spring. Now, it’s best known as the day when everyone eats crepes!
In case you want to emulate the French, make sure you fold your crepes rather than rolling them like we do in America. Folding your crepes keeps the toppings inside where they belong. That’s important since there are as many street corner crepe vendors in France as there are hot dog vendors in America!
Sweet, savory, or plain?
Lemon and sugar were the traditional simple filling used in sweet crepes. Now, you’ll find them with an amazing array of fillings. Nut spreads, jams and preserves, berries, nuts, cream cheese, whipped cream, ice cream, salted caramel, and poached pears drizzled with dark chocolate are all popular fillings. At OPH, we particularly like fresh strawberries or sliced bananas with a warm pecan praline sauce. Yum!
History of Crepes
The traditional ham, egg, and cheese filling in savory crepes is still popular. However, now you’ll also find asparagus, avocado, spinach, mushrooms, bacon, chicken, smoked salmon, steak, turkey, Swiss cheese, goat’s cheese, and a variety of other vegetables, meats, and cheeses filling crepes.
Of course, a plate of paper-thin and elegantly simple plain crepes are also delicious in all of their not-so-humble glory. They are still crepes, after all! That’s why we offer them to our customers who enjoy the simple goodness of perfectly prepared crepes.
The next time you’re in the mood for breakfast crepes, head on over to The Original Pancake House. Use the Yelp waitlist to save your place in line so you can dig into our delicious crepes as soon as possible.”
I JUST ate and I’m hungry again. This usually means that the food you made is delicious!
You’re definitely a great cook, Jo! 🙂
… ta-dah CREPES!!