Savory Buckwheat CrÊpes With GruyÈre Recipes

BUCKWHEAT CREPES WITH EGGS, HAM, AND GRUYERE

Steps:

• Whisk together flours and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl. Whisk in 2 eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, and 2 tablespoons melted butter; whisk until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Remove batter from refrigerator and whisk in remaining 1/4 cup milk.
• Place an 8-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon melted butter and use a crumpled-up paper towel to spread evenly. Add a scant 1/4 cup batter and quickly swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
• Cook until edges begin to dry, about 1 minute. Using your fingers or tongs, turn crepe, continue cooking about 15 seconds more; transfer to a plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat process with remaining melted butter and batter, stacking each crepe on top of one another as you work.
• Using a fork or a whisk, blend remaining 12 eggs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons water in a large bowl. Melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add eggs and begin stirring with a wooden spoon. Slowly drag the spoon around the bottom and sides of the pan until thickened, about 5 minutes. Continue stirring until eggs have formed loose, moist curds, 3 to 5 minutes more. Remove from heat; set aside.
• Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; set aside. Place a crepe, dark side down, on work surface. Layer a slice of ham, some of the Gruyere, and about 1/4 cup eggs on top of crepe. Roll crepe and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat process with remaining crepes. Transfer baking dish to oven and bake for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

GALETTES COMPLèTES (BUCKWHEAT CREPES)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk 3 eggs with 1 cup water until frothy and uniform. Sift in buckwheat flour, and whisk until as smooth as a new can of paint. Season with salt and whisk to combine. Cover batter and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours).
• Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low. Ladle in 1/4 cup of batter, then quickly tilt the pan in a clockwise motion to swirl the batter all the way to the edges into a perfectly round, very thin pancake. The batter should disperse quickly; if it is too thick - and doesn't swiftly radiate to cover the width of the pan - you'll need to stir a few extra tablespoons of water into the batter and try again with a second crepe. Expect to lose the first two or three crepes as you get used to the swirling motion, the amount of batter to add and the hotness of the pan. When all three factors align, you can make six savory crepes in about as many minutes.
• When you feel you have the hang of it and are ready to go live, ladle in 1/4 cup batter, swirl and allow crepe to set for just 10 seconds. Crack an egg in the center, and use the back of a spoon or a small rubber spatula to spread the egg white, which will allow the egg to cook evenly in the amount of time it will take the cheese to melt and the galette to crisp. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup Gruyère across the surface, then tear 2 or 3 pieces of ham and set them flat on top, surrounding the egg yolk.
• Allow the crepe to crisp up and brown on the bottom while the egg cooks sunny side up, and the ham warms through, 3 to 4 minutes. In Brittany, these are cooked on a large, round cast-iron griddle, and the four sides of the galette are folded in to become a large square before being slid onto a plate. This is harder to do in a slope-sided pan, but try it if it suits you - you'll want to fold the sides about 1 minute before the egg is done cooking. Otherwise, an open round is just fine. Slide it onto a plate, and repeat with remaining galettes.
• Season with salt and pepper. Drink with hard cider, not too cold.

SAVORY FRENCH CREPES

Steps:

• Combine eggs, milk, and 2 tablespoons butter in a blender. Add buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, and a pinch of salt; puree until smooth. Allow batter to rest in the refrigerator overnight.
• Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in cremini mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and spinach; cook and stir until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Set the filling aside.
• Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter per crepe (depending on the size of your pan) into the hot skillet and immediately tilt and swirl the pan to evenly distribute batter along the bottom. Cook until the center is set and edges begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 of the filling in the middle of each crepe and sprinkle each with 3 tablespoons Gruyere cheese. Reserve remaining cheese. Fold the crepes in thirds over the filling, forming triangle shapes. Serve crepes with remaining Gruyere sprinkled on top.

BUCKWHEAT CREPES WITH ASPARAGUS, HAM AND GRUYèRE

Steps:

• Make the batter: Whisk together flours, eggs, buttermilk and salt until well combined. Put the batter in the fridge for at least 2 hours or, preferably, overnight. If necessary, thin batter with a little more buttermilk or water, to the consistency of heavy cream.
• Heat a crepe pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet, about 8 inches in diameter, over medium-high heat. Use a piece of paper towel to rub a little butter in the pan, then quickly ladle in about 1/4 cup of batter. Swirl the pan to spread the batter all the way to the perimeter. Let crepe brown on one side for a minute or so, until crisp. Flip it over with a spatula (or carefully with your fingers) and cook one minute more. Don't worry about browning the second side. Adjust heat if crepe browns too quickly; the pan needn't be scorching hot. Remove from heat if crepe is cooking too quickly.
• Remove the crepe from the pan and set it aside while you continue to make 5 more. Stack crepes on top of each other as they are finished. (Crepes may be made in advance.)
• Bring a medium pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the asparagus for 2 minutes, or just until it is firm-tender, then drain and spread on a clean kitchen towel to cool.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Fill the crepes by laying each one top-side down, place a slice of ham on top, sprinkle generously with cheese, and lay 3 asparagus spears on top, off to one side. Fold over to make a half-moon.
• Put the filled crepes in one layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little melted butter, then bake until they are crisp and the cheese is melted, about 5 to 7 minutes. Serve immediately.