Crêpes come together as fun sandwich

There are many ways to combine ham and cheese, but students at Gresham Community School recently got to enjoy the two staples at lunch with a French twist.

Josh Good, regional chef with Taher, introduced the students to croquet monsieur crêpes, and several of the students went up to Good after lunch and told him that they were delicious.

That’s always a good sign that what he makes will be good for families.

“For me, it’s really important, because it’s part of my job to give them something they normally wouldn’t get every day and wouldn’t be available in the area,” Good said. “Typically, you’d have a crepe for dessert or for breakfast. It’s not something you’d typically find around here.”

Crêpes have had an interesting history and tradition. The French have traditionally served crêpes on Candlemas on Feb. 2, a day celebrated in the Catholic Church as the Virgin Mary’s Blessing Day, but is now France’s Le Jour des Crêpes, translated to “The Day of the Crêpes.”

Historically, Roman Pope Gelasius I first offered crêpes to French pilgrims who were visiting Rome in the year 472. Those pilgrims brought back the tradition along with a superstition that holding a coin in one’s left hand while holding a crêpe in the right hand would make a person rich for a year.

“They were one of the basics before there were pancakes,” Good said. “Unlike a regular pancake, it’s not just carbs and sugar. It’s very thin, so it’s not a dessert (on its own). You’re getting proteins. You’re getting grain out of it, and the kids are getting something that doesn’t have 50 grams of carbohydrates like pancakes.”

He added that, while eating a stack of pancakes could leave a person feeling full and having their blood sugar spike, crêpes break down a lot easier when digesting.

“You can do them however you want,” Good said. “That’s what’s great about them.”

Good said he hasn’t prepared a French meal in a long time, so he thought using the crêpes to make a ham and cheese sandwich would be an interesting way to introduce students to them.

Crêpes can be made like pancakes on a cast-iron griddle, but Good recommends that folks who want a consistently thin product purchase a crêpe maker. He noted they usually cost around $50 but said it’s a good investment in terms of kitchen gadgets.

“It’s super easy,” Good said. “When you do it in a pan, you have to make sure the pan’s the right size, but it’s harder to scrape off than it would if you had a griddle. The griddles kind of make it foolproof.”

Good said his repertoire of food comes from him being a military brat, constantly on the move and visiting other countries. He said he’s glad to be able to share his experiences and meals with the students.

CROQUET MONSIEUR CREPES WITH HAM AND CHEESE

Crepe

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup flour

1 1/4 cups 2% milk

Melted butter

Whisk eggs and salt in large bowl. Gradually whisk in flour, then 1 1/4 cups milk. Strain into medium bowl. Let stand 1 hour.

If necessary, add more milk by tablespoonfuls to batter to thin it to the consistency of heavy whipping cream. Heat small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with melted butter. Pour 3 tablespoons batter into skillet and swirl to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top appears dry, loosening sides of crepe with spatula, about 45 seconds. Turn and cook until brown spots appear on second side, about 30 seconds. Turn crepe out onto plate.

Swiss Dijon Béchamel Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ pound Swiss cheese

In a double boiler, melt butter. Slowly add in flour while whisking until your rue forms. Stir this for about 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly add in milk until you see steam rising off it. Slowly add cheese while stirring, until cheese is completely incorporated into the sauce. Add Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.

Croquet monsieur

8 crepes

1 pound thinly sliced ham

2 cups Swiss Dijon Bechamel Sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay out crepes. In each crepe, put two slices of ham. Fold over once and bake for 3 minutes in the oven. Lay crepes on a plate, spoon an ounce of sauce over each crepe and serve.

"Inside the Kitchens of Northeast Wisconsin" is a feature that explores not only the recipes that make up the tasty dishes in local kitchens but also examines their lore, history and culture. NEW Media is looking for others to participate and share what they make and why they make it. If you have an interesting recipe or know someone who does, drop a line to city editor Lee Pulaski at lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com.