Lobster and Crab Crepes
Inspired by one of our favorite restaurants in Costa Rica, Jurgens, these crepes are next level delicious!
Homemade crepes are very easy to make. Making the batter is almost a joke, it’s so easy. Cooking them takes a bit of trial and error, but once you get it, it is simple ask so worth it!
My crepe batter is a bit sweet, and a little buttery. For this particular recipe, I like to cook each crepe on the thicker side so they can hold the filling properly.
The lobster and crap filling is made of sweet lump crab, lobster meat and the most unexpected ingredient…hearts of palm! The hearts of palm bring a certain tartness that helps cut the richness of the cream sauce these crepes are covered in. This combination of flavors is really spectacular.
Crepes are Romantic so they are perfect for Valentine’s Day
This dish is perfect for a special occasion. It is a labor of love because it involves several steps but this dish pays off at the end. It is delicate and so incredibly decadent.
I like to serve it in individual servings because it makes it that much more special. It just says, “This was made with love just for you!”. However, it can definitely be made in a baking dish and served with the crepes all rolled next to each other. But, when you bake and serve individually, it allows the cream sauce to really cover the entire crepe. Here is a link to the individual baking plates I used. They’re very affordable.
This is how I made these Crab and Lobster Crepes:
For the Crepes:
Combine the flour, melted butter, sugar, egg, milk, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Tip! Do not over mix. It will make the batter develop gluten giving you a dense crepe. Do scrape the sides of the blender if bits of flour are not incorporated.
Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes.
Using a nonstick medium size pan, on medium heat, melt a bit of butter.
Pour about 1/2 cup of the batter into the pan. Swirl the pan around so that the batter spreads evenly and coats the bottom of the pan in a thin layer.
Tip! If you are having a hard time swirling the batter evenly, use a rubber or silicone spatula to help spread the batter evenly. Be gentle as this batter is very thin and can break easily.
Let the crepe cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Once the top of the crepe looks dry, it is time to flip. I like to use my hands and a soft spatula that can easily help lift the sides of the crepe.
Flip the crepe gently but in a swift move to prevent it from sticking to itself.
Check for color, it should have bits of golden parts where the bubbles were.
Remove from the heat and set on a plate while you make the rest of the crepes.
Tip! I like to remove the pan from the heat while there is no batter in the pan. This lets the pan have a break from the heat between crepes. This will help you control the heat so it doesn’t overheat the pan and burn the batter.
Continue making the crepes. Keep stacking them on the side on a plate.
Tip! It might take some practice to get this right. I ALWAYS wreck my first crepe and I love it because I use that crepe as quality control. I eat it to make sure the taste is right and the consistency as well. P.S. I might spread Nutella on it when no one is watching LOL
For the Lobster and Crab filling:
In a pan, sauté the diced red bell pepper. Cook on medium high heat and add 1 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until tender. I like using fresh pepper for this filling, but jarred red bell pepper will work too.
In a large bowl, add the chopped hearts of palm, the cooked diced bell pepper mixture, fresh tarragon, the crab meat and lobster meat. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
Tip! Do not use tail lobster meat. It is very easy to overcook lobster meat but the claw meat can can handle the heat way better and will remain soft.
Tip! I prefer buying precooked lobster meat. It makes for easy cleaning.
For the Cream Sauce:
In the same pan that the bell peppers were cooked, melt 2 tablespoons of butter along with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the flour and combine.
Tip! Using the same pan that you cooked the bell peppers will give the sauce a little bit of color.
Once the flour has been cooked for a bit (30 seconds or so), add the tarragon and season with salt and pepper and stir it in.
Next, add the milk 1 cup at a time. Whisk vigorously as you add the milk. Whisk well enough that the flour gets well incorporated and there are no clumps.
Tip! I like using a whisk for this part of the sauce. It helps prevent clumps.
Add the next cup of milk. Keep whisking consistently. At this point you will have 1/2 cup remaining. Keep it for later!
Add the heavy cream and whisk to incorporate into the sauce.
Season again with salt. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, whisking every now and then.
Taste the sauce as check for seasoning. Adjust if needed. Check for thickness too. It will probably be thick and creamy.
Add the diced jarred red peppers. Remove from the heat.
Tip! Jarred roasted peppers are preserved in a brine. They add a little acidity to the cream sauce. It balances the heaviness nicely, plus, they add beautiful bits of color. They are also soft and tender already so there is no need to pre cook them.
Remove from heat and add between 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the sauce into the crab and lobster mixture. Stir in well to coat all the meat. It should be wet but dense, all incorporated.
Putting it all together:
Coat the bottom of your baking dish or dishes with olive oil.
Grab one crepe and scoop out 2/3 cup of the filling into the middle of the crepe. Roll the crepe tightly like a cigar. Place in the baking dish.
If you prefer to serve a larger portion, add two crepes per serving dish. Given that this is a rich dish, I personally prefer one crepe per serving.
Tip! When the crepe is in place in the baking dish, wiggle the crepe a little bit just to make sure the bottom of the crepe is oiled well so it doesn’t stick during the baking process.
Continue filling the rest of the crepes.
Once all the crepes are filled, sprinkle a bit of the left over filling to the top of each one.
Once all the crepes are done, If the sauce has thickened up more (it most likely will), stir in the last 1/2 cup of milk remaining into the cream sauce. Whisk it in well and using a ladle, pour a ladle or so of the sauce over each crepe. Make sure it is a generous ladle full of sauce. This dish is supposed to be sinfully creamy!
After the crepes have been smothered in the cream sauce, top each crepe with the shredded cheese.
Place the baking dish (or dishes if individually plated) on top of a baking sheet to help catch any drippings from he cream sauce bubbling over.
Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 18-20 minutes.
Let cool a bit for at least 10 minutes before serving as the sauce will need to rest a bit.
Serve as is or with a light salad or roasted asparagus on the side. A fresh vegetable will help balance the richness of the cream sauce.
Enjoy!
Crab and Lobster Crepes
Equipment
- Oval Au Gratin Baking Dishes
- Baking sheet
- Medium size pan
- Blender
Ingredients
For the crepes:
- 1 extra large egg
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 1/2 lb precooked lobster meat claws only
- 1/2 lb lump crab meat
- 1 8.8 oz can of hearts of palm about 1 1/2 cups
- 1 cup red bell peper finely diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves finely minced
- salt and pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
For the cream sauce:
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 1/2 cups milk 2% or whole
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves finely minced
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
For the crepes:
- In a blender, add the egg, milk, flour, salt, and melted butter.
- Blend until smooth, do not overmix.
- In a medium size pan, heat and melt a pat of butter.
- Add about 1/2 cup of batter and as you add it, swirl the pan to help the batter coat the surface evenly.
- Use a spatula to spread the batter if it is not spread evenly.
- Cook the crepe for about 30 seconds until the uncooked surface is dry and the sides are separating from the pan.
- Flip the crepe in one swift motion and cook on the other side for 30 more seconds.
- Continue cooking the crepes until the batter is all gone. Add a pat of butter to the pan as you cook each crepe.
- When the batter is all gone, set the crepes aside to work on the filling.
For the filling:
- In a medium size pan, heat some extra virgin olive oil and add the dices fresh red pepper.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the fresh tarragon and saute for 3 minutes or so or until the pepper has softened.
- Remove from the heat and add the pepper to a bowl.
- Add the chopped hearts of palm.
- Add the chopped lobster meat and crab meat.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the cream sauce.
- Mix well until all ingredients are combined.
Assembling the crepes:
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- Oil the bottom of the baking dishes.
- Scoop 2/3 cup of the filling into the middle of each crepe.
- Roll the crepe over the filling tight, like rolling a cigar.
- Place 1 crepe per serving dish or 2 for a larger portion. If baking in one casserole dish, line them side by side.
- Add bits of the left over filling on each crepe.
- Whisk in the remaining 1/2 of milk into the resting cream sauce. Whisk until well incorporated and cream sauce has thinned.
- Pour a laddle full of sauce over each crepe. The sauce should drip over and smother each crepe.
- Add 2 tablespoons or so of shredded cheese on top of every crepe.
- Place the individual baking dishes (or the casserole dish) on top of a baking sheet to help catch the drippings.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes until the crepes are golden and the sauce is bubbling.
- Let rest for at leat 10 minutes then serve.