By Gabrielle Hamilton
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus at least 8 hours’ chilling
- Rating
- 4(316)
- Notes
- Read community notes
If you can make pancakes for breakfast, you can certainly make crepes for dinner. These savory ones from Brittany — which use buckwheat flour and are filled with Gruyère cheese, ham and egg — are nutty, earthy and incredibly satisfying any time of day. Loosen the batter, if needed, using beer, water or hard cider; it all works equally well. Once you get the hang of the tilt and swirl, you can have your family fed in minutes, and unlike those nerve-shredded times when you brightly declare “It’s breakfast for dinner, kids!” — which children everywhere know is a sign that something is wrong for Mom — this is one instance where you can announce it, and mean it: Everything is actually alright. Galettes complètes are meant to be a meal.
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Ingredients
Yield:6 crepes
- 3large eggs
- 1¼cups/150 grams buckwheat flour
- ¼teaspoon kosher salt
- 6large eggs
- 6ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
- 8ounces thinly sliced jambon de Paris (or other ham)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
For the Crepe Batter
For the Assembly
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
436 calories; 25 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 32 grams protein; 856 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
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).
Step
2
Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low. Ladle in ¼ 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.
Step
3
When you feel you have the hang of it and are ready to go live, ladle in ¼ 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 ⅓ cup Gruyère across the surface, then tear 2 or 3 pieces of ham and set them flat on top, surrounding the egg yolk.
Step
4
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.
Step
5
Season with salt and pepper. Drink with hard cider, not too cold.
Ratings
4
out of 5
316
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Cooking Notes
CWL
In the French kitchen were I worked for many years, we always burnt the first crêpe to get it out of the way, so we could proceed unfettered to the work at hand.
RandoGal
This is my go-to crepe batter, GF and DF. There is no need for wheat flour - soaking the buckwheat makes the batter fluffy and the finished crepes keep together beautifully.While bike touring in Brittany last summer, a sad discovery: yes, even a few natives have started adding wheat flour to the traditional galette sarrasin. (I learned this the hard way...) It's just inexperience and fear. Embrace the buckwheat - it works!
Hal Gaisford
I lived in Rennes, Brittany, in mid '60's. Fridays the creperies were very busy offering savory (buckwheat) and sweet crepes (sugar, jam or grande marnier/cointreau). For us non-drinkers, the traditional beverage was babeurre (buttermilk) which was ladled out of huge crockery containers at room temperature. This recipe brings back wonderful memories
Ellen Tabor
Heresy here: because buckwheat flour has no gluten, some people find it easier to work with a batter that has a little wheat flour added, for structure.
Kerry
My Breton host mother always made her crepe batter in the blender. I tried it and it worked great: really fast, easy to store in the fridge, then convenient to pour onto the skillet.
Hayford Peirce Tucson
I must be doing something wrong -- for many years now I have made absolutely perfect crepes and NEVER have to throw the first one away, let alone the second or third. I use a combination of Julia Child/Jacques Pepin recipes for a classic dessert crepe, not the buckwheat one here, and cook them in a dedicated cast-iron crepe pan used for nothing else. There is so much melted butter in the batter that no butter or oil is needed for the pan, just the correct heat, about 400 degrees.
Walter
I first encountered galettes in France in 2008 in a tiny shop in Lyon. They were so good and so simple. We went back the next evening but the shop had closed for August! So when we got back I looked up how to make them myself. What a breeze. I strongly recommend a one handed round flat skillet along the lines of the Swiss Diamond Crepe pan so you can pour out 1/4 cup of batter and swirl it around into a crepe with no trouble. No need to turn it over (though I prefer to do so) Perfect!
Madrid
when did kosher salt become a superstition or a fad?Kosher salt has suited me much more for more than half a century now.
Barbara
However we are not in France.
Jeannie
These remind me of a great week in Brittany. I still smile when I think of one filled with three perfectly seared scallops on a bed of sauteed leeks. I don't eat meat, but a slice of smoked salmon and Greek yogurt or fresh goat cheese in lieu of the jambon and Gruyere are my go-to with an egg. 1/3 cup of batter/crepe works perfectly in my pan. Hard cider is the traditional Breton beverage, but a crisp rose' is tasty too.
Megan
My husband and I don’t eat much meat, so added in some pesto at the same time as the cheese, and it’s our new favorite breakfast for dinner dish! We usually also finish with one spread with a thin (or thick) layer of Nutella
GC
This was delicious! I made using 1 cup all purpose flour and 1/4 cup rye flour. This gave a nice taste. Also, used both salted and unsalted butter (as that is what had in fridge had during this self-isolating, quarantine moment), and it was very buttery and good. Both my husband and I, stuck at home, enjoyed very much. Highly recommend! Easy and tasty! Thank you!
Carol
Super simple - first time ever crepe maker, and worked well. A bit of worry that the egg yolk wasn’t going to be even warm - but faith prevailed!Cut recipe in half if making for 2 - would still leave plenty of excess for any requisite trial or error. Saved excess batter in fridge .. will see how it holds up.
Steve
Followed the direction as written and it worked perfectly.
Megan
Made these for dinner and loved them! But I could not get the edges to fold in as shown in the photo. They just wanted to pop back open. Anyone know, what is the trick to the folded edges for a pretty presentation?
katie
I used store bought crepes (Belgian Boys brand) and just started to heat them on both sides in a skillet to temp and then proceeded with the rest of the recipe. Came out beautifully.
Sergio
This is one of my breakfast staple. While my wife and I follow the recipe, well we add raw sauerkraut and a spoon full of craime fraiche; my kids love galettes with cottage cheese and brown sugar. Easy to follow and versatile recipe!
Camandari
My husband read the ingredient list & made the batter with just eggs, buckwheat flour, & salt. It was very stiff. I said, Odd that it doesn't call for any liquid. Then he read the instructions, added the water & ultimately all was well. But perhaps for those cooks who are a bit dyslexic or sloppy about reading instructions, you should include the 1 cup of water in the ingredients list. Otherwise, delicious.
Emily F.
The cast iron crepe pan I bought specifically for this recipe left me with a mess stuck on, but as soon as i switched to my regular nonstick, everything proceeded perfectly. I'm guessing the the cast iron needs more seasoning (despite reassurances from the label that it's pre-seasoned and ready to use). Should I have tried using butter? The recipe was delicious as written, though I did need to loosen the batter with about a quarter cup of water to flow smoothly.
Lydia Lowery
This is a marvelous thing. Celiacs can eat it, too. It was one of my favorite dishes at La Brioche Lyonaise in Montreal, which doesn't exist anymore -boooooo.Buckwheat Galletes - and I loved them just like this, full of egg and gruyere and spinach in my case; the ham is apropos as well. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE THE BUCKWHEAT FLOUR. It is not a way to make it gluten-free. It is as it is because it tastes marvelous and it is an old French recipe that takes advantage of a crop of the land.
Bob Mc
I first encounter galettes in 1993 when we chartered a boat to cruise one of the canals with four friends. Everywhere we stopped there were markets with at least one stand making galettes and crepes. Now, when I spot a creperie, I always check to see if they have galettes, which, to me, make them a truly French restaurant.
Andy Robinson
Always make double the batter because the first few will be too thick or burned. Smoked ham julienned.
AlGo
I live in Brittany. In the usual recipe galettes are only made if buckwheat water and salt, no eggs, no milk and no other flour. Ingredients for about 15 galettes:500g buckwheat flour1 liter of water1 level teaspoon coarse saltPreparationIn a bowl mix the flour with the salt. Add the water little by little, stirring well with the whisk and leave to rest for at least 4 hours.
Julian H
Hmm. These really didn’t come out like galettes. They were much more flapjack-y than the soft, porous texture one expects from a classic galette — somewhere between a classic American pancake and thin-crust pizza dough. Absolutely nothing like what you get in France. Too bad.
AP-in-DC
10/17, 1st go1.25 water, 200g b.wheat flour, 4 eggs - wanted extra for practice this time. Mixed in vita mixer on lower speeds
Yilun
I had to thin the batter to get it to spread and still had trouble. Not sure if it was user error or not. Tasted ok in the end but I would have preferred a thinner crepe.
Megan
Made these for dinner and loved them! But I could not get the edges to fold in as shown in the photo. They just wanted to pop back open. Anyone know, what is the trick to the folded edges for a pretty presentation?
Emily F.
Second this question! Mine cracked and broke when I tried to fold the edges.
Steve
Followed the direction as written and it worked perfectly.
Megan
My husband and I don’t eat much meat, so added in some pesto at the same time as the cheese, and it’s our new favorite breakfast for dinner dish! We usually also finish with one spread with a thin (or thick) layer of Nutella
PS Lynx
You can use smoked salmon instead of ham and it is wonderful. Also change the cheese if you like
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