Mention crepes, and my mind leaps to the thin pancakes, filled with ham and cheese, that I tasted long ago in Normandy. But Italians eat savory crepes, too. Called crespelle, they are a lovely change from pasta and risotto.
The flavor and texture of crepes are improved by incorporating whole-grain flour into the batter. You could use buckwheat flour, as in Normandy, or whole-wheat, rye, chickpea or farro flour. One part whole-grain flour for two parts all-purpose are proportions that work as well for crepes as for regular pancakes.
It’s fun to make crespelle/crepes, and easy, too. The trick is to let the batter sit for a bit, allowing the gluten to relax. Heat the pan, brush with melted butter and get going. As with any other pancakes, the first one might be a dud. But soon you’re happily flipping one bronze-flecked disk after another.
I’m fond of a classic ricotta-spinach filling, with tomato sauce under and over the rolled crepes. They are similar to cannelloni (and filled tortillas, for that matter), but thinner and more delicate.
Many Italian recipes call for just a couple of tablespoons of filling per crepe but for plump ones, use at least a third of a cup. The exact amount depends on the size of your crepes, which in turn depends on pan size. Ideally, use a crepe pan, small and flat, with shallow sloping sides. Mine is about 8 inches in diameter. You could also use a small nonstick sauté pan.
As an alternative to tomato sauce, use cheese sauce with a béchamel base. For this recipe, I mixed cooked chicken with mushrooms. But your refrigerator probably harbors the makings of other delicious fillings. That leftover ragu you made for pasta, for instance. Or sautéed zucchini and peppers.
Crepes are for any time you feel like it. I learned this during our grad school days, when a friend invited my husband and me home for dinner on a whim.
Buzzi found some carrots and ground beef in her fridge, plus eggs, flour and milk for crepes. She handed us each a glass of wine and we chatted while watching her cook. She happened to be one of those people who make cooking look effortless, but I remember thinking at one point, “I could do this.”
At an impressionable age when my own repertoire of dishes was limited, this simple dinner showed me that a good cook can almost always come up with something nourishing and good. I filed away the idea of crepes as one of those options and now I’m passing it on to you.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1½ cups milk
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour or 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole-grain flour *
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
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Melt 3 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over low heat; add to milk in measuring cup. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in same pan.
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In a small bowl, whisk eggs. Add milk mixture.
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Combine flour and salt in a food processor or blender. Pulse to blend. Add milk. Process until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl once or twice. Scrape crepe batter into a bowl. Refrigerate for at least half an hour or overnight.
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Over medium heat, heat an 8-inch crepe pan or small sauté pan with sloping sides. Brush with a little melted butter. Off heat, pour about 1/3 cup batter into pan, turning to distribute batter over bottom. Cook until lightly browned, about 10 seconds. Flip crepe and cook for a few seconds until lightly browned. Transfer with a spatula to a plate.
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Repeat with remainder of batter, brushing pan with butter before cooking each crepe. Stack crepes on top of one another.
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Note: Crepes can be used right away or refrigerated for a day or two. To freeze: layer crepes between pieces of waxed paper, wrap well and freeze.
* The wonderful whole-grain flours available now include whole-wheat, rye, chickpea, buckwheat and rye. Any of these can be used in crepes.
- 6- ounce box of baby spinach or mix of spinach and parsley leaves
- 15- ounce container of ricotta or mix of ricotta and crumbled feta
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1½ cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano or pecorino cheese
- Kosher salt or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups homemade tomato sauce or purchased marinara sauce
- 12 to 15 crepes see recipe
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Preheat oven to 375°F.
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Wilt spinach by microwaving or steaming. Drain, squeeze out liquid and chop.
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In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, wilted spinach, garlic and ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Spread some of tomato sauce over bottom of a gratin pan or large Pyrex baking dish.
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To fill crepes: Spread one-third cup of filling along one end of crepe. Roll up and lay in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining crepes until all are filled.
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Spread remaining tomato sauce over crepes, making sure all are moistened. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.
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Bake until heated through and lightly browned on top, about 15 minutes.
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1½ cups milk or half milk and half chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup Asiago or Taleggio cheese
- Sea salt or kosher salt
- Freshly ground black or white pepper
- 12 ounces cooked chicken diced in ½-inch pieces
- 8 ounces cremini or white mushrooms sliced and sautéed
- 12 to 15 crepes see recipe
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Preheat oven to 375°F.
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To make cheese sauce: Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, heat milk in microwave.
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Blend flour into melted butte. Stir in hot milk, a little at a time, until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes until sauce is thicker but still loose. Stir in ½ cup cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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To make filling: Combine chicken and mushrooms in a medium bowl. Fold in half a cup of cheese sauce.
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Spread some of remaining sauce over bottom of gratin pan or large Pyrex baking dish.
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To fill crepes: Spread one-third cup of filling along one end of crepe. Roll up and lay in prepared pan. Repeat with remaining crepes until all are filled.
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Spread remaining cheese sauce over crepes, making sure all are moistened. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese.
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Bake until heated through and lightly browned on top, about 15 minutes.
