Classic seafood crêpes

Delicious make-ahead comfort food!

This satisfying dish has an amazing flavour more than compensates for the little extra effort it takes to prepare. I love it as a winter warmer but it can be a delicious brunch, lunch or dinner dish any time of the year. Both fresh and frozen seafood work well in the filling; just be sure to cut it into uniform, bite sized pieces (1/2 inch or 1.25 cm is good) before cooking. There are lots of make-ahead options for this meal. I often prepare the crêpes and sauce up to 72 hours in advance and make the seafood filling 48 hours in advance. I have even assembled the filled, folded crêpes 24 hours before serving and they taste just as good as if prepared right before baking. I like to serve this with lemon wedges for squeezing over top and a salad on the side. If you’re interested in a wine pairing, I would suggest the 2022 Trésors de Loire Touraine Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. Light and crisp, its citrus and stone fruit flavours make it a very versatile, food-friendly wine to pair with cheese dishes, fish, roasted vegetables and more.

Ingredients

Crêpes:

1/2 cup (60 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (177 mL) milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon (14 g) melted butter, melted, plus more for cooking crepes

Sauce:

1 1⁄2 (21 g) tablespoons butter
1 1⁄2 tablespoons (14 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) milk
2 tablespoons (12 g) grated Swiss cheese
Few pinches each salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch cayenne
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) 10% cream
1 egg yolk, beaten with the cream

Seafood and vegetable filling:

2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
1/2 cup (85 g) diced onion
4 medium sized cremini or button mushrooms, diced
1/2 cup (60 g) diced sweet pepper
1 cup (140 g) cooked seafood (use shrimp, crabmeat, scallops or a combination)
1/2 cup (50 g) grated Swiss cheese, divided
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley and dill, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Make crêpes first. Add flour, salt, eggs and milk to a 4 cup (1 litre) glass measure or similarly-sized mixing bowl and pulse with an immersion blender or whisk vigorously until smooth and well combined. Add melted butter and blend once more. If the mixture is lumpy, strain it into a clean vessel. Note you can also use a conventional blender if preferred. Cover and refrigerate prepared batter for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours until ready to cook crepes.
To cook, heat a crêpe pan or a 10 or 12 inch (25 or 30 cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with a little melted butter then pour 1/3 cup (60 mL) of prepared batter into the pan, lifting it and swirling to coat evenly with a thin circle of batter.
Cook until top of crêpe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute. Using a spatula to loosen the crêpe, flip and cook other side for one more minute. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper placed on a plate. Top with a second piece of parchment paper, to prepare for the next crêpe to be added to the stack.
Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with additional butter as needed (I do this with every second crêpe). If not assembling crêpes with filling immediately, cover the stack with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. You should end up with 4-6 crêpes; extras not needed for this dish can be transferred to an airtight container and frozen for up to a month.
Also prepare the sauce in advance. In a small saucepan, melt butter and blend in flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Add cheese and blend well. Beat egg yolk and cream together in a bowl. Scoop out 1/3 cup (90 mL) of the hot milk mixture add slowly pour into cream and egg mixture, whisking constantly, then transfer milk, cream and egg yolk mixture into pot with remaining sauce and whisk to blend well. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if you wish then cover pot and remove from heat.
For seafood filling, start by buttering 4 individual broad ramekins or a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the filled and folded crêpes (approximately 8 x10 inches or 20 x 25 cm).
In a skillet melt the 2 tablespoons (28 g) of butter and sauté the onions, mushrooms and diced red pepper until tender. Stir in cooked seafood and the 2 tablespoons of grated Swiss cheese. Add 3/4 cup of the prepared sauce along with half of the minced parsley and dill, plus a little salt and pepper. Stir together until heated through; taste and adjust seasoning if you wish.
Spoon 1/2 cup of seafood mixture into the middle of one crêpe and fold up like a burrito (fold the top and bottom edges over the filling then fold the sides in to overlap). Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining crêpes.
Divide remaining sauce evenly among the crepes, spooning it over top. At this point the dish can be covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F.
Bake for 10 minutes then sprinkle 1 tablespoon (6 g) of reserved cheese over each crêpe. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes until sauce is bubbling and filling is heated through (internal temperature of 160F when measured with an instant-read thermometer). If assembled crêpes have been refrigerated before baking, additional time will be needed.
Sprinkle crepes with remaining chopped herbs and serve hot.