My husband and I both LOVE crepes…both sweet and savory varieties. Just like my stance on risotto…you can throw any variety of ingredients in them and they will taste delicious! I first fell in love with crepes when I was living in San Diego for school. My family has spent countless summer vacations on Coronado Island, and so I would frequently spend my free time away from school, visiting the Island to relax. There was this incredible little crepe shop not too far from the Hotel Del called Bino’s. They created incredible crepes and I couldn’t get enough! I brought friends from school almost every Sunday to introduce them to this culinary delight. Nutella Banana…Berries and Cream, and savory crepes such as ham and Gruyere…yum!
My husband, who I met after college, had been consuming crepes since he was in grade school. He and his family have lived, and spent a lot of time in France. Before we were married, or even engaged, Brendan took me on my first trip to Paris. I was in love with the city from the second I set foot out of the taxi. It was this trip that I had my very first true French crepe at Creperie des Arts…and I loved it. I watched in amazement as they made a perfect crepe on their crepe maker…and I knew I had to figure out how to do this at home. It was no wonder that when my husband proposed and we started creating our registries…the first item to go on was an electric crepe maker!
This recipe was created using Julia Child’s traditional crepe batter, and a mixture of a couple of my favorite flavors: Spinach, shallots, garlic and Gruyere cheese…I mean, can you really go wrong?!
Note* If you don’t have an electric crepe maker, you can usea crepe pan. They are a little trickier to use, but they still create a light, delicate crepe.
Crepe Batter Ingredients for Savory Crepes
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup cold milk
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups of flour
- 4 T butter, melted
Put the liquids, eggs and salt into a blender jar. Add the flour, then the butter. Cover and blend on high speed for 1 minute. Occasionally scrape the sides of the jar to get all the flour down into the blender. Blend for 1 more minute. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Make 10 inch crepes using an electric crepe maker or crepe pan on the stove. Stack them on top of each other as you make them, to keep them warm and soft. Cover with foil to keep warm until you are ready to assemble.
Spinach & Chicken Filling
- 2 T shallot, minced
- 3 T butter
- 1 Pound of Spinach
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken, pulled apart into bit sized shreds
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (or Swiss, whatever you can find)
In a large saute pan, melt the butter and saute the shallots until softened. Add in the spinach, and stir until vibrant green and wilted. Stir in the shredded chicken to combine. Remove from the heat, and set aside.
Sauce Bechamel Aux Champignons (Mushroom cream sauce)
- 5 T Butter, divided
- 2 T flour
- 1 cup of milk (whole is best)
- 6 ounces of chopped fresh mushrooms (baby bellas, button, whatever you like!)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Nutmeg
In a saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add in chopped mushrooms and salt, and cook until tender and water has evaporated. Remove from heat.
In a heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add in the flour and stir, cooking for a couple minutes. Make sure the flour doesn’t brown or burn.
Add the milk to the flour and butter, and bring to a soft boil. Lightly boil until thickened, add salt to taste. Keep at a low simmer to keep warm. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. If you find the sauce has become to thick by the time you are ready to use it, simply add in a little more milk until thinned.
Add the mushrooms to the sauce. Just before serving, add in the last tablespoon of butter.
Assembling your Crepe
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Using both hands, fold a crepe in half and place down on on a cookie sheet. Place 1/3 cup of chicken and spinach filling on one side of the half circle. Top with a couple tablespoons of shredded Gruyere.
- Fold the other half of the crepe over the filling to create a triangle.
- Repeat with your other crepes until you have assembled all crepes.
- Place finished crepes in a 400 degree oven for 3-4 minutes or until cheese has melted inside each crepe and is warmed through.
- Place finished crepe on a plate and top with the mushroom bechamel sauce. Garnish with fresh chives or green onions.
The Simple Elements 