Recipe: Savory Crepes with 10 Variations

SAVORY CREPES

"These versatile, multipurpose crepes, and the variations that follow, are great for savory fillings. Keep a stack on hand in the freezer for unexpected guests. The crepes will quickly defrost at room temperature, then separate with ease.

It takes just 2 or 3 teaspoons of butter to coat the pan for a batch of crepes. A paper butter wrapper with a small amount of butter on it is a fast way to achieve this. For health reasons, if you prefer you may use 2 tablespoons canola, safflower, or olive oil in the savory crepe batter instead of melted butter, but the flavor will be slightly different. Oil may also be used to coat the pan, but butter is preferable for its browning effect."

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour, preferably bleached
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus 2 or 3 teaspoons butter for coating the pan

In a blender or food processor, blend the eggs, milk, 1/3 cup water, flour, salt, and the 2 tablespoons melted butter for 5 seconds, or until smooth. Stir down and repeat if necessary. (Or, to mix by hand, sift the flour into a medium bowl and add the salt. Whisk the eggs until blended, mix in the milk and 1/3 cup water, and whisk this mixture into the flour and salt; stir in the 2 tablespoons melted butter.)

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (though 2 hours is preferable) or up to 24 hours.

Gently stir the batter if it has separated. Heat a seasoned 6- or 7-inch nonstick crepe pan over medium-high heat until hot (use a 9- or 10-inch pan for larger crepes.) Coat the pan lightly with butter, lift the pan from the heat, and pour in 2 or 3 tablespoons of batter for a 6- or 7-inch pan, or about 1/4 cup for 9- or 10-inch pan, tilting and rotating the pan to coat the surface. Cook until almost dry on top and lightly browned on the edges, about 1 minutes. Loosen the edges with a metal spatula and flip the crepe over using your fingers or the spatula, then cook the other side for about 15 seconds, or until lightly browned. Turn the crepe out onto a clean tea towel to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter, wiping the pan with butter as needed and stacking the crepes as they are cooked.

FOR SERVING IMMEDIATELY:
Cover the crepes with aluminum foil and keep them warm in a preheated 200-degree-F oven.

FOR SERVING LATER:
Wrap them in plastic wrap in quantities intended for each use and slip them in a self-sealing plastic bag. Refrigerate crepes for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 2 months.

VARIATIONS:

Herb Crepes: Follow the savory crepe recipe and add 1/4 cup minced fresh chives, basil, or flat-leaf parsley to the batter while blending it. Or, for pale green mixed-herb crepees, use 1/2 cup mixed minced fresh chives, green onion tops, flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, marjoram, and basil.

Sun-dried Tomato Crepes: Follow the savory crepe recipe and add 1/4 cup minced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes to the batter while blending it.

Blue Cornmeal Crepes: Follow the savory crepe recipes, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 2/3 cup blue cornmeal.

Buckwheat Galettes: Follow the savory crepe recipe, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 2/3 cup buckwheat flour.

Corn Flour Crepes: Follow the savory crepe recipe, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 2/3 cup corn flour (which is more finely ground than cornmeal).

Cornstarch Crepes: Follow the savory crepe recipe, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 cup cornstarch and add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda.

Garbanzo Flour Crepes: Follow the savory crepe recipe, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 2/3 cup garbanzo flour.

Chestnut-Garbanzo Flour Crepes: Follow the savory crepe recipe, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup garbanzo flour and 1/2 cup chestnut flour.

Whole-Wheat Crepes: Follow the savory crepe recipe, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 cup whole-wheat flour or 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, or 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour.

Chestnut Flour Crepes: Follow the savory crepe recipe, but replace the 1 cup all-purpose flour with 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup chestnut flour.

Makes sixteen to eighteen 6- or 7-inch crepes, or ten to twelve 9- or 10-inch crepes
Source: Crepes: Sweet and Savory Recipes for the Home Cook by Lou Seibert Pappas