Cheese and walnut crepe and Caprese crepe

I remember the first day I made crepes at home: I doubted how they would turn out, I thought it would be complicated, that I wouldn't know how to flip them or that they'd come out very thick. Without a doubt the first one I made wasn't good, but after the experience of the first, the second one came out really well.

I think what happened to me happens to many people: all those doubts make it hard to get started making crepes, but once you've tried them they become a regular recipe, one of the easiest and most go-to dishes there is, liked by everyone and that you can combine with both sweet and savory fillings.

The suggestions Carmen brings us today, author of Yerbabuena en la cocina, are two crepe recipes with truly successful and very tasty combinations. I invite you to try them!

Those who know me know that I love getting together with my family and friends around the table for any reason, so when a recipe sparks my interest it's reason enough to put on the apron and experiment; although that also means going through the toughest part of this process which is, let's be honest! my children's approval, without a doubt my most severe and relentless critics.

That said... I don't always feel like making things complicated; sometimes I prefer to enjoy my people and the moment by playing it safe and preparing simple dishes, like pizzas or in this case crepes, where each person chooses according to their own tastes or imagination and where flavor and simplicity converge to form their greatest appeal.

Crepes have the advantage of being very versatile; they pair perfectly with both sweet and savory... Who can resist hot crepes with ham and cheese or others with salmon, fresh cheese and arugula? Not to mention sweet ones with lemon curd, dulce de leche or gourmet jams, like apricot & armagnac or strawberry & champagne. I certainly can't!

Also, crepes can be frozen: you can have them prepared ahead of time and fill them when you need them... However, they are so easy to make with this Le Creuset enameled cast-iron crepe pan so complete with its rake and spatula that you'll enjoy making them with the family.

INGREDIENTS

For the crepes:

• 500ml milk
• 200gr flour
• 5 M eggs or 4 L eggs
• 1 pinch of salt
• Butter for brushing the crepe pan

For the different fillings:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Parmesan cheese
• Mozzarella cheese
• Gorgonzola cheese
• Emmental cheese
• Walnuts
• Heavy cream
• Basil
• Pepper
• Salt

METHOD

Put all the crepe ingredients in a bowl except the butter and beat until you get a smooth, homogeneous mixture without lumps. Cover the container with cling film and let rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

After this time, put the crepe pan on the heat and brush it with a little butter. When it starts to heat up, add a bit of the previous mixture spreading it well over the entire surface. If you have a crepe pan you can help yourself with the rake, this way the whole bottom will be well covered, cook and with the spatula flip it without letting it brown too much. Remove and set aside, and repeat until the batter is finished.

Cheese and walnut crepes from the book The Silver Spoon:

Spread different types of cheese on half a crepe, in my case a bit of parmesan, gorgonzola and emmental, or any other type of cheese that melts well; don't overdo it or they'll risk becoming too strong or salty. Add some chopped walnuts. Fold the crepe in half and then fold it again in half like a fan, place on a baking dish (or an ovenproof skillet, as in my case, which I used the skillet skillet to continue working meanwhile with the crepe pan), and so on until finished. Add a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream on top of each crepe and gratinate for a few minutes in the oven at 180º.

Le Creuset cast-iron crepe pan and Le Creuset Skillet cast-iron pan; in the background, the book The Silver Spoon

Caprese crepes:

Brush the crepe pan with a little butter, place a crepe and on one half put grated parmesan, mozzarella, some cherry tomatoes cut in half and previously seasoned with salt and pepper and some basil leaves. Fold in half, let cook a couple of minutes over low heat so the cheeses melt a bit. Fold again in half and flip, and leave one more minute to brown a little.
Both types of crepes are served immediately.

NOTES:

- If you're thinking of making savory crepes, you may be interested in the pantry section, where you'll find wild mushrooms in oil, tomato or onion chutney, etc.

- A good option to give the crepe a different touch is to drizzle with a splash of flavored oil, such as truffle oil, almond oil, or Il Piccante oil.

- If you prefer to make sweet crepes, the batter will be exactly the same; the only thing that changes is the crepe filling. In this case, you may be interested in the artisan jams with assorted flavors (also the more gourmet flavors), the ready-made lemon curd or the dulce de leche.