Savory Chicken & Mushroom Crepes

Hands down, this may be one of my all-time favorite recipes we learned during culinary school, and making it at home, you'll feel like you've made a meal worthy of a Parisian Bistro. While there are a couple of 'recipes within a recipe' for this dish, including preparing clarified butter, crepes from scratch and a rich, velvety velouté sauce, you can cheat a little by purchasing a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and save yourself some time. This is a great make ahead meal, which heats up beautifully, and is also a great option for prioritizing protein and minimizing carbs.

INGREDIENTS

Clarified Butter

• 1-2 Sticks Unsalted Butter

Velouté

• 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 2 Tbsp. All Purpose Flour
• 1 C. Chicken Stock
• Pinch Nutmeg
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Crepes

• 1 Lg. Egg
• Pinch Kosher Salt
• ¼ C. All Purpose Flour
• ¾ C. Whole Milk
• 2 tsp. Melted Butter
• Clarified Butter, for the Pan (recipe below)

Crepe Filling

• 6-8 Medium White Button Mushroom Caps, stems removed, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Clarified Butter
• Few Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
• ¼ C. Dry White Wine
• 2 C. Chopped (or Shredded), Cooked Chicken such as a fully cooked, rotisserie chicken
• 3 Tbsp. Heavy Cream
• ¼ C. Freshly Grated Parmesan plus a little extra
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

This recipe has several separate components, so be sure to read through all of the instructions, gather and measure your ingredients carefully before beginning.

Step 1: To make clarified butter, add 1-2 sticks* of unsalted butter to a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan and keep over medium heat. As the butter heats up, the excess water will evaporate and the milk solids will separate, rising to the top. Using a stainless-steel ladle (or even a spoon), gently begin skimming the milk solids out, moving them to a separate bowl, and discarding. The remaining butter is then clarified, and should be cooled slightly, storing in a heat safe, glass container, until ready to use.

*While you'll only need a few tablespoons for this dish, clarified butter is great to have on hand, and is easier to make in a larger batch. Clarified butter is the process of separating the excess water and milk solids from the butterfat and is less likely to burn due to the higher smoke point.

Step 2: To prepare the Velouté, add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to a medium saucepan, and using a wooden spoon, stir until a paste is made, when little bubbles begin to form. Add the chicken stock and allow to simmer. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. The sauce will be done when it has thickened, coating the back of a spoon. Hold warm.

Note: The sauce will be divided.

Step 3: Next, gather the ingredients for the filling.

Step 4: In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of the clarified butter, tossing in a few sprigs of thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Step 5: Once the mushrooms have cooked down and moisture has evaporated (you'll see less steam rising from the pan), deglaze the bottom of the pan with the white wine, scraping any brown bits.

Step 6: Add the chicken to the pan, and season to taste. Remove the sprigs of thyme, leaving behind the leaves, and stir in about half the velouté sauce over the chicken and mushroom mixture until creamy. Keep warm.

Step 7: Gather the crepe ingredients, including a large mixing bowl, whisk and a small sauté pan. Mix together the eggs and salt, then add in the flour. The mixture will be very thick. Add milk slowly, whisking continuously, and be sure there are no lumps in the batter. Add the melted butter (not clarified butter) and set the batter aside.

Step 8: Heat a small, non-stick pan over medium heat and add a little of the clarified butter to the pan. Once hot, add a small ladle of crepe batter (approximately ¼ of the mixture) to the pan, watching for small bubbles to form along the entire surface. Using a rubber spatula, flip the crepe to the other side, and cook about 30 seconds. Remove the crepe to a plate and repeat until all four crepes have been cooked. 

Note: Crepes may be stacked, they will not stick to one another.

Step 9: Lay the prepared crepes onto a cutting board or clean work surface. Divide the filling evenly, topping the center of each crepe. Gently roll the bottom of each crepe up over the filling, fold the top down over to create a lose seal, and lay the prepared crepes, folded side facing down in a ceramic baking dish.

Step 10: To the reserved velouté sauce, mix in cream, grated parmesan cheese and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the sauce over the top of the prepared crepes, and grate in a little extra parmesan on top.

Step 11: Turn on your oven to the highest broiler setting, and when hot, set the baking dish under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese has slightly browned. Sprinkle a few fresh thyme leaves over the finished dish to garnish and serve.

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