If you have ever had the opportunity to go to a French market over on the Continent, you will most likely have seen Crepe Vendors. Baking crepes in the open air and filling them with whatever your heart desires. Folded into quarters, and wrapped in paper, they are very easy to eat while you walk around browsing through the market.
You can get them filled with fruit fillings, nutella, cream and even with savoury fillings. My favourites are always the ones filled with ham and cheese. Kind of like a Croque Monsieur, but in a crepe, not bread.
They also make for a quick, easy and light supper during the summer months when you are looking for something to make that isn't going to keep you standing over a hot stove for ages and ages.
These are delicious. I like to use Gruyere cheese, which is a lovely melty Swiss type of cheese, but you could use cheddar, or Colby, or even Jack cheese if you wanted to. You could even use a combination of cheeses. I like cheeses with a lot of flavor and so I choose Gruyere because it has a sweet and nutty taste, and goes really well with ham.
I like to pair it with a good ham . . . thinly sliced honey ham is good, or a thinly sliced dry cured oak smoked. You are going to tear it into pieces, so just pick a nice ham, and one that you enjoy. The nicer the flavor of the ham you use, the less you will need of it. Fact.
People can find making crepes a little bit intimidating, but they really aren't hard to make at all. I put the batter through a sieve to make for a smooth batter. Just use a good non-stick frying pan, lightly oiled and well heated.
You don't want them frying so much as you want the to bake in the skillet. Just pour a very thin layer and tilt the hot pan a bit to spread the batter out into evenly. Let it cook until golden brown and then using a flexible spatula, flip them over to brown the other side. Easy peasy.
Once you have browned one side and flipped them over you can start filling them. They cook in literally about a minute if you pan is heated properly. Not too hot, not too cold. Sprinkle the cheese on half of the crepe . . .
Let it cook for about 30 seconds to melt the cheese, then scatter over some torn ham and some chopped spring onion. Fold in half again so that you have a triangle and put into a warm oven to keep warm while you cook the rest. Again, such a simple thing. Like an omelet, but with a flour batter instead of an omelet batter.
These go together really quickly and are so delicious! You don't need to limit yourself to what I have used. Use your imagination and whatever is in the refrigerator to fill them with whatever appeals. You could go completely vegetarian and fill them with sauteed vegetables and cheese, or maybe you have some leftover curried chicken or lamb. That would also be nice. A salad on the side makes for a complete meal!
*Ham, Gruyere & Spring Onion Crepes*serves 4Printable Recipe
Delicious savoury pancake wrapped around torn sliced ham, Gruyere (Swiss) cheese and chopped spring onions, to make a delicious quick supper. Serve a salad on the side.
150g plain flour (1 cup + 1 1/2 TBS) sifted3 large free range eggs, beaten450ml whole milk (1 3/4 cup)generous pinch saltfreshly ground black pepper240g grated Gruyere Cheese (can use cheddar if you wish) (2 cups)4 slices baked ham, torn4 spring onions, trimmed, washed and thinly slicedoil for frying
Sift the flour into a bowl along with the salt and pepper. Make a well in the center. Add the egg and milk and whisk all together until smooth. If necessary put through a sieve to take out any lumps.
Have ready a large non-stick skillet. Lightly grease with oil and heat. Pour 1/8th of the batter into the hot skillet, tilting to cover the bottom with the batter evenly. Cook until golden brown. Carefully flip over, and brown on the other side. Sprinkle a portion of cheese on half the crepe, top with some chopped onion and torn ham. Fold half the crepe over to cover, and then fold in half again until you have a triangle. Keep warm in a low oven while you cook the remaining crepes. You should have at least 8, maybe a couple more.
Serve warm with some salad, if desired.
Todd is not a man who enjoys eating with his hands. He even eats his burgers with a knife and a fork. To each their own!
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Bon Appetit!
