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Crêpes complètes

https://fannyzanotti.com/crepes-completes/
A thin, golden crêpe, crisp at the edges, soft in the center. The kind you fold around ham, cheese, and a runny egg for a classic crêpe complète or stack with butter and sugar, and a drizzle of lemon juice, for something simple and sweet.
When making crêpes complètes, one has to stand by the stove, making and serving the crêpes one by one. With the leftover batter, I always make a stack of crêpes, later eaten with jam, crème de marron and chantilly (a favourite), or simply sugar and lemon juice.
More often than not, I use my basic recipe for both savoury and sweet crêpes. However, if you wanted to make only sweet ones - for a goûter - you’ll find what I usually add to the batter in the notes below.
Author: Fanny Zanotti
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Makes 12 22cm crêpes

Ingredients

For the batter

  • 250 g plain flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 500 ml milk
  • 50 g melted butter
  • 1 tsp flaky sea salt

For cooking

  • Butter for the pan

For a classic crêpe complète (per crêpe)

  • 40 g grated Emmental or cheese of choice
  • 1 slice of ham
  • 1 egg pan-fried sunny-side up

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour and salt into a lumpy batter. Blend using a hand blender, until just smooth. Adjust the batter consistency with a dash of water if needed.
  • Add the melted butter, and blend until incorporated.
  • Cover and let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
  • Heat a knob of butter in a pan over medium heat. Pour in a ladleful of batter, swirling to coat the base. Cook until the surface looks set and no wet patches remain.
  • Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the crêpe, then place a slice of ham and a pan-fried egg in the center.
  • Fold in the edges of the crêpe to create a triangle or a square, leaving the yolk visible in the center. Cook for another minute, then serve immediately.

Notes

- For a sweet pâte à crêpes, add 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, and 2 tbsp dark rum or orange blossom water to the batter.
- If the batter thickens too much after resting, whisk in a little water to reach a thin, pourable consistency.
- To grease the pan, my mémé, grand-mère, and my mum always used a halved potato dipped in melted butter or oil. I still do, and often wonder if this is just something we do, or if more people know about it. It works beautifully - coating the pan evenly without excess fat and keeping the crêpes from sticking.
- This cast-iron pan by Swedish Skeppshult is my ride-or-die whenever making pancakes and crêpes!