Buckwheat Crepes with Mushrooms and Gruyere

To me, crepes have always seemed a bit too daunting to make.  Special pans, runny batter, flipping and such seemed like quite a hassle.  Turns out, they're not as hard as they seem.  Whisk together a simple batter, let it sit, ladle into a non-stick pan and cook until bubbled.  Fill with sauteed shallot, mushrooms and a bit of shredded gruyere cheese. Buckwheat flour gives these crepes a distinctly nutty and earthy taste.  A sprinkle of fresh parsley and you have a delightful lunch.  Easier than I expected.

Buckwheat Crepes with Mushrooms and Gruyere

Makes 4-5

{crepe recipe adapted from this cookbook}

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups whole milk, divided

1 package mushrooms, chopped

1 shallot, thinly sliced

4 oz gruyere cheese, shredded (or more if you like)

handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped

olive oil

kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper

butter for the pan

In a medium to large bowl, combine the flours with the salt.  Whisk in the melted butter, eggs and 1 1/2 cups of the milk.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add a bit of oil and allow it to heat up.  Saute mushrooms until browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally.  Add the sliced shallot and cook until the mixture is browned and caramelized, a few minutes more.  Turn off the heat and set pan aside.

Once the batter is ready, preheat your oven to 200 degrees.  Put a heat-proof plate or cookie sheet in the oven to stack your finished crepes on.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk to the crepe batter and whisk until smooth.  Heat a 10'' round, non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add a tad of butter and once it has melted, spread it around the pan evenly using a pastry brush or bit of paper towel.  Once hot, pour in one 1/2 cup ladle of crepe batter into the center of the pan.  Using your wrist, rotate the pan around until the batter has evenly coated the entire surface of the pan. Allow the crepe to cook until it starts to bubble, about 1 minute.  Carefully, using a rubber spatula, flip the crepe over and allow it to cook on the other side for no more than 20 seconds.  Transfer crepe to the warmed plate in the oven and repeat with the rest of the batter.

Once the crepes are complete, heat your non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add a bit more butter. Place a crepe in the pan, add a spoonful of the mushroom shallot mixture and top with a sprinkling of gruyere cheese.  Fold the crepe in half and cook until the cheese has melted and the mushrooms are heated through, no more than one minute.

Transfer crepe to a plate, fold in half again and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve warm.

A stack of crepes ready to be filled.  Here is a great crepe tutorial.

Fill with meaty mushrooms and flavorful gruyere cheese.

Cheesy, hot and fast.

A simple yet delicious lunch.