Savory Crawfish and Cheese Crepes

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8 or 9-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan
• •Large skillet for the sauce
• •Medium skillet for the crawfish
• •2-quart baking dish
• •Wire whisk
• •Rubber spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the crepe batter

   Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and crack in the eggs. Pour in half the milk and the melted butter. Whisk from the center outward, gradually pulling flour from the edges until you have a smooth paste. Add the remaining milk and white pepper, whisking until the batter is thin and completely lump-free. It should coat a spoon but run off easily. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to overnight.

   Resting the batter is not optional. The flour needs time to hydrate and the gluten needs to relax. Skip this step and you'll fight tough, rubbery crepes.
2. 2

   Season and prep the crawfish

   Drain the crawfish tails well and pat dry with paper towels. Excess moisture is the enemy of good browning. Toss with one teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning, making sure every tail gets coated. Let them sit at room temperature while you prepare the trinity. Seasoning the protein first is how you build flavor from the ground up.

3. 3

   Build the Creole cream sauce base

   Melt four tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper (that's our holy trinity) along with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and the onion turns translucent, about five to six minutes. You want them tender but not brown. Add the garlic and tasso, cooking another minute until fragrant. The tasso will start releasing its smoky, spicy fat into the butter. That's flavor you're building.

   Tasso is Louisiana's gift to cooking. It's cured, smoked pork shoulder with serious pepper heat. If you can't find it, substitute a quality smoked ham and add an extra pinch of cayenne.
4. 4

   Deglaze and build the sauce

   Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble and reduce by half, about two minutes. Add the heavy cream, chicken stock, Worcestershire, cayenne, and the remaining teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about eight to ten minutes. Taste it now. Adjust the salt and heat. The sauce should have a gentle warmth that builds, not a punch that overwhelms.

5. 5

   Sauté the crawfish

   In a separate skillet, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. When it foams and the foam subsides, add the seasoned crawfish in a single layer. Let them sizzle without stirring for about ninety seconds. You want a little color on them. Toss once and cook another minute. The crawfish should be just heated through and lightly caramelized. Transfer half the crawfish to the cream sauce and stir to combine. Reserve the other half for topping the finished crepes.

6. 6

   Cook the crepes

   Heat an eight or nine inch nonstick skillet or well-seasoned crepe pan over medium heat. Brush with a thin film of melted butter. Give the batter a stir (it settles). Pour about three tablespoons of batter into the center of the pan and immediately swirl to coat the bottom in a thin, even layer. Cook until the edges look dry and start to curl slightly, about one minute. Flip with a spatula or your fingers (it's cooler than it looks) and cook another thirty seconds. Stack finished crepes on a plate under a clean towel.

   The first crepe is always a test. Use it to judge your heat and batter thickness. Too thick? Whisk in a splash more milk. Pan too hot? Turn it down. By the third crepe, you'll have the feel for it.
7. 7

   Fill and roll the crepes

   Preheat your broiler to high. Lay a crepe flat and spoon about two tablespoons of the crawfish cream sauce in a line down the center. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of Gruyère and a pinch of the sliced green onions. Roll the crepe snugly around the filling or fold it into quarters, whichever looks prettier to you. Place seam-side down in a buttered baking dish. Repeat with remaining crepes, nestling them close together.

8. 8

   Finish under the broiler

   Spoon the remaining cream sauce over the filled crepes. Scatter the reserved sautéed crawfish on top, then blanket everything with the remaining Gruyère. Slide under the broiler for two to three minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese bubbles and develops golden brown spots. The sauce should be bubbling at the edges. Remove immediately.

9. 9

   Garnish and serve

   Scatter the remaining green onions and the fresh parsley over the top while everything is still bubbling. Serve two crepes per person, making sure everyone gets plenty of that sauce and the extra crawfish on top. Have hot sauce on the table for those who want more heat. This dish waits for no one, so call folks to the table before you pull it from the oven.

Chef Tips

• •Louisiana crawfish is non-negotiable. Imported crawfish from overseas has a different texture and none of the sweetness. Check the package and make sure it says Louisiana. Your fishmonger should know the difference.
• •If you're making this for a dinner party, cook the crepes and make the sauce the day before. Store them separately in the refrigerator. Assemble and broil just before serving. The crepes actually improve overnight.
• •Gruyère has a nutty complexity that works beautifully here, but a good aged white cheddar or fontina would do the job if that's what you have. Use real cheese, not the pre-shredded stuff with anti-caking powder.
• •The heat level is entirely personal. I've written this recipe with a gentle warmth that lets the crawfish shine. If you want more fire, double the cayenne and add a splash of Louisiana hot sauce to the cream. Taste, taste, taste.

Advance Preparation

• •Crepe batter must rest at least one hour and can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Give it a good whisk before using.
• •Cooked crepes can be stacked between parchment paper, wrapped tightly, and refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for a month.
• •The Creole cream sauce (without the crawfish) can be made three days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently and fold in freshly sautéed crawfish before assembly.
• •Fully assembled crepes can be covered and refrigerated for up to four hours before broiling. Add three to four minutes to broiling time if cold from the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 310g)