Picardy pancakes, ficelle Picarde, crepes Picardie – they go by a number of names, invented within the 1950’s in Amiens, northern France by chef Marcel Lefèvre. This tasty rolled Picardy crepes recipe – crispy ham and cheese pancakes with a wealthy Bechamel sauce – is straightforward to make and completely scrumptious! It makes for an ideal gentle meal with a salad or add chips for extra oomph!
Preparation: 1 hour
Cooking: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS – serves 8
3 ½ tablespoons (50 g) butter plus 1 ½ tablespoons (20 g) to butter crepes earlier than filling
¾ lb. (350 g) button mushrooms
1 shallot (50 g)
1 onion (80 g)
1 ½ tablespoons (20 g) parsley, chopped
½ lb. (250 g) ham
4 oz. (120 g) grated Gruyere cheese
Salt, freshly floor pepper
Pancake batter
2 ¾ cups (250 g) cake or all-purpose flour
3 eggs
2 cups (500 ml) low-fat (semi-skimmed) milk, room temperature
5 ½ tablespoons (80 g) butter
10 sprigs of chives, snipped
1 pinch of salt
Oil for the skillet
Béchamel sauce
4 tablespoons (60 g) butter
⅔ cup (60 g) flour
4 cups (1 liter) milk
A bit grated nutmeg
Salt, freshly floor pepper
Prepare the crepe batter.
Sift the flour and salt right into a mixing bowl. Crack the eggs one after the other into the combination and whisk briskly with slightly of the milk.
Incorporate the remaining milk, beating energetically till the batter is clean and fluid. Strain by way of a fine-mesh sieve. Melt the butter till it browns to a hazelnut shade. Mix it into the batter with the snipped chives and chill for about half-hour. Heat a skillet over excessive warmth. Drizzle slightly oil in and cook dinner the crepes one after the other, turning them after they start to brown on the edges.
Prepare the mushroom duxelles.
Chop the button mushrooms, the shallots, and the onion. Melt the three ½ tablespoons of butter and sweat the chopped shallot and onion. Add the button mushrooms and cook dinner, lid off, till all of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley. Finely cube the ham.
Prepare the Bechamel sauce
Prepare the béchamel sauce utilizing the butter and flour to make a white roux. Add 2 cups (500 ml) milk and the graded nutmeg. Bring the combination to boil over excessive warmth, whisking continually. Pour within the remaining milk, carry to a boil once more, and season. Transfer to a bowl and canopy with plastic wrap flush with the floor. This will stop a pores and skin from forming.
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Place the mushroom preparation, the diced ham, and slightly of the béchamel sauce in a mixing bowl and mix. Adjust the seasoning. Spread the crepes out and butter them with the remaining butter. Fill them with the mushroom and ham combination and roll up. Arrange them in a shallow ovenproof dish. Pour over the béchamel sauce and scatter the grated cheese on high. Bake for 15–20 minutes.
CHEF’S NOTE
The conventional filling for rolled crepes makes use of mushrooms and ham, however be happy so as to add the fillings of your selection.
Extracted from The Complete Book of French Cooking by Hubert Delorme and Vincent Boué (Flammarion, 2023).
More pancake recipes
How to make the right French crepe
Crepes Suzettes recipe
Sweet fillings for French pancakes
The historical past of Candlemas – pancake day in France!
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