He’d been a groom before; I hated the idea of a puffy white dress. So we had a ceremony at the courthouse and left abruptly the next morning for Paris. I’d like to say it was impossibly romantic. But among the magical nighttime moments in the Louvre courtyard, there was plenty of bickering concerning the correct path to the Panthéon. After one particularly nasty exchange, I stormed ahead on the Rue Mouffetard, only to be halted in my tracks by the sweetness wafting from a street-side window. A man with thick arms plied a crêpe from a hot pan and slathered it with Nutella; I quickly ordered two. When my husband finally caught up, I handed him the warm confection. We shared a silent, wide-eyed moment of bliss with that first bite and continued on, hand in hand.
It wasn’t the first time I’d used a crêpe to save the day; and it certainly wasn’t the last. But who can blame me? With a small list of ingredients, the options for sweet or savory fillings (not to mention almost endless topping possibilities), and a nearly fool-proof batter, it’s a versatile creation that belongs in every cook’s repertoire. In my family, crêpes have become the ultimate grab-and-go food: pour, flip, fill, fold, and see you later.
The French obviously have a close relationship with the crêpe. During Candlemas in February, they have a tradition in which a preparer must flip a crêpe with one hand while holding a coin in the other. A successful flip portends a year of good fortune. Originating in Brittany, crêpes were originally known as galettes crêpes, or flat cakes, and were customarily made with buckwheat flour and used like bread.
Today, the buckwheat version is sometimes called galettes de sarrasins and is customarily used in savory preparations.
But it’s the sweet crêpe that lures most food-lovers. Whether for dessert or brunch, a delicate pancake filled with berries, chocolate, sweet cream, or simply butter and sugar is hard to refuse. My own mother used rolled crêpes covered with sugar to wedge eggs into my early, extremely limited diet. But as of late, my attentions have turned to the savory crêpe, including heartier versions made from whole wheat flour and laced with herbs. Softly folded around any number of ingredients (mushrooms and Gruyère, halibut and leeks, squash and chèvre with sage), crêpes allow you to skip the bread and ditch the pasta, all while lending an air of refinement.
There’s no mystery to the mix, a basic batter of flour, eggs, and milk. Even with all the potential permutations and additions, it’s almost impossible to screw up. Check out the three pages dedicated to crêpes in the Larousse Gastronomique, where you’ll find recipes for sweet crêpes that call for sugar, vanilla, and cognac as well as savory recipes with beer. As for my own concoctions, no matter how off-the-cuff, each has yielded a wholly edible pancake. I think that’s the true magic of the crêpe: It can be anything you want or need it to be. If I was set upon by four hungry dinner guests and had only a sparsely stocked pantry, crêpes would not only suffice, they would surprise and satisfy.
Patience may be the final ingredient—even an experienced crêpe chef knows the first of the batch will be an ugly one. But once you master the skill, the only mystery left is this: Why on earth haven’t you made these treasures more often?
Savory Mushroom Crêpes
For Crêpes:
1 c. buckwheat flour
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 c. milk
4 eggs
1/4 c. melted butter (plus a touch for the pan)
For filling:
3 T. butter
2 c. chopped baby portabellas
2 T. freshly chopped thyme
Shredded Gruyère
Sift flours and salt together in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in milk until blended. Whisk in eggs until smooth, then stir in melted butter. Cover and chill batter for at least two hours, giving it a quick stir before using.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, brush lightly with a little melted butter. Lifting pan from the heat, pour in just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan and swirl to coat the surface. When the cake firms up, loosen the edges and flip. After a few seconds, transfer crêpe to a warmed baking dish in a 200-degree oven.
Meanwhile, sauté mushrooms in butter with thyme until deep brown and soft. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Place crêpe in a clean pan over medium heat. Top with shredded gruyère, and remove just as cheese is melting. Top one half with a spoonful of mushrooms and gently fold closed.
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