Holy Crepes
Holy Crepes
One of my lowest of all lows as a food editor was being assigned the story “Where do hot dogs come from?” This led me to question the value of my Northwestern education, as well as my entire existence. Most unfortunately, it also led to an entire weekend of contemplating a career change, from which I distracted myself with nonstop cooking sessions. For this particular mental breakdown, my brain was sponsored by crepes—the French delicacy that you can stuff with literally anything you find in your apartment. The real winners, for me, were ingredients such as Nutella (duh) and pancetta (double duh), which are obvious basic bitch standouts. But feel free to experiment and layer your thin pancakes with anything that will prevent irrational decision-making or an unscheduled trip to the psychiatrist.
Ingrediënten
FOR THE CREPES
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ cups whole milk at room temperature
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for brushing
FOR THE SWEET VERSION
- 1½ cups chocolate-hazelnut spread
- 1½ cups sliced strawberries about 10 ounces
- Honey for drizzling
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
FOR THE SAVORY VERSION
- Âľ pound pancetta cut into ÂĽ-inch cubes
- Âľ cup apricot jam
- 12 ounces Brie cheese thinly sliced
- 2 Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 3 cups arugula
- Âľ cup chopped fresh chives plus more for garnish
Instructies
- First make the crepes: In a blender, combine the flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter and blend until smooth, 1 minute.
- Refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Heat a small nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the bottom and sides of the pan with butter.
- Give the batter a quick stir, then, using a ÂĽ-cup ladle, pour 1 ladleful of the crepe batter into the pan, swirling the pan to make a thin, even layer.
- Cook until the crepe is set and lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Using a small offset spatula, lift up the edge of the crepe and use your fingers to flip the crepe over, then cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter to the pan as needed.
- You should have about 12 crepes.
- To make the sweet version, place a crepe on a clean work surface.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of the chocolate-hazelnut spread over the crepe.
- Top with 2 tablespoons of the sliced strawberries and fold the other half of the crepe over the toppings, then fold the crepe in half again, creating a triangle.
- Repeat with the remaining crepes.
- Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
- To make the savory version, in a small nonstick skillet, cook the pancetta until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
- Place a crepe on a clean work surface.
- Spread 1 tablespoon of the apricot jam over the crepe.
- Top half of the crepe with a few slices of the Brie.
- Top the Brie with apple slices, pancetta, arugula, and chives.
- Fold the other half of the crepe over the toppings and then fold the crepe in half again creating a triangle.
- Repeat with the remaining crepes.
- Serve warm, garnished with chives.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Crepes can be stored, stacked between layers of wax paper in a zip-top bag, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
