Crepe Bretonne
Look crepes in Paris are lacey, delicate and crisp. The batter is finicky...requiring rest and refrigeration. The cookware is expensive and not versatile.
Here is my version. No special cookware. No rest. No refrigeration (though you can save batter for the next day and cook right out of the cold fridge!). I’m not even gonna ask you to mail order buckwheat flour...buckwheat pancake mix will work fine.
Quite frankly, even if you made a fussy recipe...they will still taste better in France.
Because you are in France.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup + 3 T buckwheat flour (you can sub buckwheat pancake mix if you cannot find buckwheat flour)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 t kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/3 cups water
- Unsalted butter, for cooking
- Optional: fried eggs, grated Gruyère cheese, and thinly sliced ham, for filling (crepe complete) or any savory filling you like!
Directions
- In a large bowl, whisk together buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt. Add egg, milk, and water and whisk until thoroughly combined and slightly aerated. (Small bubbles should initially form on the surface when the batter is left to stand.)
- In a nonstick skillet, melt about 1/2 tablespoon butter over high heat until browned and starting to smoke. Add just enough batter to thinly coat bottom of the pan, swirling to evenly cover. Cook until bottom is beginning to brown well and small bubbles break the surface, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (To make sure, check the bottom for browning by gently lifting an edge of the crepe.) Flip.
- Reduce heat at any point to prevent burning.
- Fill the Crepes while on heat. Start by spreading a small handful of grated Gruyère cheese around the center of the crepe, lay a slice of ham on top of cheese and then top with a fried egg.
- Using a spatula, fold sides of crepe in to form a rectangular shape with egg yolk exposed.