Savory French Crepe Recipe

In France, the savory crepe is more popular, while in the US, "crepes" are just about synonymous with a sweet dessert crepe.

Here we include both the savory and sweet and complete details on how to make crepes.

Be sure to visit our other related pages:

• Sweet Crepes Recipe.
• Cocktail Party Appetizers.
• Dinner Party Recipes for a complete list of our authentic French recipes.
• French Recipes Desserts.

The savory French crepe recipe consists of:

1. A pancake.
2. Duxelles filling (a base for the filling, or "primary filling").
3. A veloute sauce (a white sauce made with stock).
4. And a secondary filling (any filling of your choice).

While a savory crepe recipe consists of the four ingredients, the sweet crepe only has the pancake and one filling.

This savory crepe works for a French appetizer or an entre. And you can change the secondary filling to any other savory item you like.

Here you will find the basic crepe recipe, plus the following three crepe filling recipes:

• Sauteed Chicken Livers
• Shrimp with Herbs
• Artichoke Hearts with Ham

The French Crepe Recipe: (16 stuffed crepes)

Crepe Recipe Batter Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 additional tablespoons melted butter mixed with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Make the crepe batter in a food processor or blender. Combine eggs, flour, water, milk, 3 tablespoons of melted butter and salt. Use a blender and blend for around a minute. Stop the blender. Scrape the sides. Then blend for one more minute.

The batter should be the same consistency as heavy cream. Dilute with 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time (until it's just right) if it is too thick.

Let the batter "rest." Refrigerate it for at least one hour.

Heat a 6-inch crepe pan over medium high heat. The pan is ready when a drop of water evaporates instantly. Apply a light coat of the butter and oil mixture to bottom of the pan with a pastry brush.

Ladle around two tablespoons of batter into the crepe pan. Tip the pan quickly so that the batter coats the entire bottom. The batter will become slightly firm. Almost immediately, it will cling to the pan.

To ensure the crepe is almost paper thin, pour off excess batter. When the crepe's edges are brown, flip it over to cook the other side. Again, if you notice the first crepe is too thick, you can still dilute the batter as instructed about.

What's so convenient about any crepe recipe is that you can make it hours ahead of time, store it in a tightly sealed container and use it just when you're ready.

The Primary Filling: Duxelles

This is the primary filling for an hors d'oeuvre crepe recipe. Duxelles is combined with an additional filling such as chicken livers, shrimp, ham, and the like, to make the crepe a substantial dish appropriate for an appetizer or even an entre.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of mushrooms, chopped
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chives, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

Wash mushrooms and chop. Thoroughly dry the mushrooms by squeezing 1 cup at a time in a towel to extract as much of the juice as possible. In a heavy skillet, or cast iron skillet, melt the butter.

Stir in shallots and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until soft but not brown. Add mushrooms, stirring frequently. Cook for about 10 minutes or until all of the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms turn slightly brown.

Remove from pan and mix with the fresh herbs and salt and pepper.

Veloute Sauce: (3 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a saucepan, melt butter then stir in flour. Cook for a about a minute, then remove from heat. Vigorously stir in the chicken stock in order to create a thoroughly blended roux. Return to the stove and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Then remove.

In a separate bowl whisk together egg yolks, 3/4 cup cream. Add two tablespoons of the hot roux and whisk. Continue to add two tablespoons of roux at a time and whisk until half a cup of roux has been added. Then, reverse the process. Slowly pour the egg and roux mixture into the sauce pan whisk at the same time.

When everything is combined and smooth and creamy, then return the sauce to the stovetop and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Allow to boil for only a few seconds. Remove for heat a season with salt and pepper and lemon juice. The sauce will be very thick and creamy.

The filling:

For chicken liver filling

• 1 cup sauteed chicken livers, diced

For shrimp filling

• 1 cup shrimp, cooked and diced

For artichoke and ham filling

• 1/4 artichoke hearts, frozen or canned, thoroughly drained and chopped and sauteed
• 1/4 cup smoked ham, diced

Ingredients for each type of filling:

• 1 teaspoon tarragon, or parsley, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon or more lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• White pepper to taste
• 1 cup grated Swiss cheese
• 4 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine the sauteed primary ingredient you have selected with 1 teaspoon of parsley. Stir in the duxelles filling and about 1/2 cup of the veloute sauce. The filling should be very thick. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon 2 tablespoon of filling into each crepe and roll. Do not tuck ends. Butter a baking dish that will hold all of the crepes side by side. Thin the remaining veloute sauce is necessary with a scant amount of water until it pours thickly. Distribute this sauce over the crepes and sprinkle with the Swiss cheese.

Bake on upper third of oven (i.e. on a top rack) for about 15 minutes until the sauce begins to bubble and the top is slightly browned. For a more brown top, broil for a few seconds.

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