Crepes

Crepes are one of those dishes that, once tackled and made, made me wonder why I waited so long to try them. Maybe their somewhat delicate nature; or maybe because the first time I had one was at The French Pastry Shop in the Hotel La Fonda, Santa Fe, NM, generously stuffed with creamed spinach and, at the suggestion of good friends, paired with a Chardonnay. I was probablay afraid that I’d never compete with that memory.

Turns out, however, that crepes are easy, challenging in a fun sort of way, and can be made ahead for days. It doesn’t get much better. And, they are so versatile and adaptable. Sweet, savory, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner – it’s all there.

When tackling something new, I like to download at least two recipes, compare them in the light of my skill set, then decide what I think I can handle. This recipe is by Martha Stewart, but compared very favorably with another from The Chopping Block, in whom I have great faith.

Have a go at it!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 cups whole milk, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing

DIRECTIONS

In a blender, puree flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter until smooth, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 day; stir for a few seconds before using.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Lightly coat with butter. (see NOTES) Quickly pour 1/4 cup batter into center of skillet, tilting and swirling pan until batter evenly coats bottom. Cook until crepe is golden in places on bottom and edges begin to lift from pan, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Lift one edge of crepe with an offset spatula, then use your fingers to gently flip crepe. Cook on second side until just set and golden in places on bottom, about 45 seconds. Slide crepe onto a paper towel-lined plate.

Repeat with remaining batter, coating pan with more butter as needed, and stacking crepes directly on top of one another. Let cool to room temperature before using, wrapping in plastic wrap and refrigerating up to 5 days, or freezing up to 1 month.

NOTES

If you don’t have a non-stick pan, you can do this with stainless steel. In fact, learning to make them in stainless steel was the impetus, not only for adding this recipe, but also for this blog post.

Using a blender ensures a smooth crepe batter that has the consistency of heavy cream. If not using immediately, stack cooked, cooled crepes with wax paper and refrigerate, up to 3 days.