Ham and Cheese Savory Crepes

To prepare ham and cheese savory crepes, start with the batter. Gently heat the butter to melt it, then turn off the heat and let it cool slightly. Beat the eggs, pour in the milk 1 and mix. Add the cooled melted butter 2, mix again and sift in the flour 3.

Mix vigorously with the whisk until you get a smooth, lump-free mixture 4. At this point, cover the bowl with plastic wrap 5 and let it rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. In the meantime, prepare the béchamel. Pour the milk into a saucepan, add nutmeg 6 and salt, then heat.

Put the butter in another saucepan 7 and melt it over low heat, then turn off the heat and add the flour all at once 8. Stir vigorously with a whisk to avoid lumps. Turn the heat back on and continue stirring until you get a golden mixture, the roux 9. 

At this point, dilute the roux by first pouring in a little hot milk 10 and then all the rest. Continue stirring over low heat until you reach a thick consistency, but more liquid than usual 11. Quickly grate the Gruyere cheese, removing the rind 12. 

Add it to the hot béchamel 13. Add some black pepper 14 and stir well until melted 15. 

After 30 minutes, take the crepe batter out of the refrigerator. Heat a crepe maker (or alternatively a 9.5-inch non-stick pan) and grease it with a small amount of butter. Once at temperature, pour a ladle of batter sufficient to cover the surface of the pan 16: you can use a crepe spreader or rotate the pan to distribute the batter evenly. After about 1 minute over medium-low heat, you should notice a light browning, and the edges will tend to lift, so you can flip the first crepe with a spatula 17. Also, cook the other side for about 1 minute, waiting for it to color. Once the first one is cooked, transfer it to a plate. Repeat this operation until the batter is finished; you should get 10 crepes with a diameter of 9.5 inches: stack each crepe on top of the other 18.

Place the crepes on a surface and, one at a time, first stuff them with the cheese béchamel 19, spreading it well over the entire surface and then with two slices of cooked ham 20. Fold them in half first 21.

Then fold them into a fan shape 22 and place them in a baking dish. Continue this way for all the others, slightly overlapping them while placing them in the baking dish 23. Prepare the brown butter: add the butter and sage to a saucepan 24. 

Cook over medium heat until it turns hazelnut brown 25. Set aside the butter for a moment and sprinkle the grated cheese over the crepes 26 27. 

Pour the flavored butter over the crepes, distributing it evenly 28. Add more sage leaves 29 and bake in a preheated static oven at 390°F for 5 minutes 30.