Ham & Asparagus Crêpes with Cheese Sauce
This Ham & Asparagus Crêpes with Cheese Sauce is a dish you can enjoy anytime of the day! It’s not too heavy and loaded with flavor!
Ingredients
CRÊPE BATTER
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 large free-range eggs, room temperature
- 1 large free-range egg yolk, room temperature
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted plus more to brush the skillet
- 1/2 tsp. ground Himalayan pink salt
FILLING
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 tbsp. olive oil tips & tricks
- 1/2 cup white onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red peppers, finely chopped
- ground Himalayan pink salt, to taste
- 2 large cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 1/2 cups smoked ham, diced
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 1 tsp. hot paprika, or to taste
- 1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, grated
- 18 large asparagus spears, blanched tips & tricks
CHEESE SAUCE
- 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups milk, warmed
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 cup Swiss cheese, grated
- 1/2 tbsp. chopped chives, for garnish tips & tricks
Directions
BATTER
- Combine all the ingredients in the jar of a blender and process until the mixture is smooth with no lumps in it, cleaning the sides of the jar when needed.
- Transfer to a bowl and let the batter sit for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax and the bubbles to settle – this can be made a day ahead.
CRÊPES
- In a 10-inch skillet over medium heat, brush on some butter at the bottom of the pan.
- When it gets warm, add about ¼ cup of batter and swirl the pan around so it evenly covers the bottom.
- Cook until golden, about 1:30 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the crêpe over and cook until brown as well.
- Transfer to a plate and place a piece of wax paper on top to prevent it from drying out. Brush more butter in the pan and continue making crêpes until the batter is gone.
FILLING
- Preheat oven to 400ºF and grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside
- In a skillet over medium heat, add butter and oil. When melted and starts sizzling, add onions and red peppers; season with salt. Sauté them for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Transfer the sautéed veggies to a large bowl. Add smoked ham and cheese; season with pepper and hot paprika. Stir well and set aside.
- Working with one at a time, spoon about 1/3 to ½ cup of ham mixture into the center of a crêpe and place 3 blanched asparagus on top making sure the spears are sticking out a little.
- Fold each side of the crêpe over the filling and place the stuffed crêpe, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish; continue with the others.
- When all 6 crêpes are stuffed, transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Meanwhile make the sauce.
CHEESE SAUCE
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter and when melted, add flour. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Pour in warmed milk and continue stirring until the sauce thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Stir in Dijon mustard. Add cheese in batches, mixing well between each addition.
- To assemble...Carefully transfer baked crêpes to warm serving plates, spoon sauce over and garnish with chopped chives. Makes 6.