Crepes and Caviar
Simple yet elegant, crepes with caviar and crème fraiche are the ultimate dish for a holiday brunch. We also add thinly sliced fried potatoes to make this heartier. Keep in mind that the batter needs to be refrigerated for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before you cook the crepes. This gives the dry ingredients time to absorb the liquid, which will thicken the batter and produce crepes with a finer, more delicate texture. Bonus: You’ll get a jump-start on the prep.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) milk
- 1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml) water
- 1 cup (4 1/4 oz./120 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- Kosher salt
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for greasing
- Extra-virgin olive oil as needed
- 1/2 lb. (250 g) small Yukon Gold or red potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandoline
- Crème fraîche for serving
- Caviar for serving
- Minced fresh chives and chive blossoms for serving
Directions
In a bowl, whisk together the milk, water, flour, eggs and 1/2 tsp. salt until smooth. Stir in the melted butter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
In a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm a thin film of olive oil. Add the potatoes and cook, flipping once, until tender and lightly browned. Remove from the heat. Transfer the potatoes to a paper towel–lined plate and season with salt. Set aside.
Heat a 6- to 8-inch (15- to 20-cm) crepe pan or a nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tsp. of butter and swirl the pan until the butter melts and covers the bottom of the pan. (If you are using a seasoned crepe pan, you will need to butter the pan only once. If you are using a nonstick pan, you will need to lightly butter the pan in between each crepe.)
Ladle about 1/4 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) of the batter into the pan and tilt the pan to cover the bottom evenly. Cook until the crepe is lightly browned underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Run a small offset spatula or a fork around the edges of the pan to loosen the crepe and carefully flip it, then cook until lightly browned underneath, about 10 seconds. Transfer the crepe to a baking sheet or a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. If stacking the crepes on a plate, place a piece of parchment paper between each one to prevent sticking.
To assemble, arrange some potato slices in the center of each crepe, then place a spoonful of caviar and a dollop of crème fraiche alongside. Fold up the edges of the crepe to form a square, leaving the center open. Sprinkle with the chives and serve immediately. Makes 8 to 10 crepes.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen