For the last three summers, I have had “fresh corn crepes” on my cooking wish list. I was mesmerized by the idea of mixing roughly chopped kernels of the ridiculously sweet bi-color corn we get around here with eggs, milk, some melted butter and salt and cooking them thin and lacy in a pan. What I didn’t have was a clue of what I’d do with them, you know, besides just eating them. Whenever I thought about them, I fell down a culinary philosophical rabbit hole — Why not just put corn on a plain crepe? Does a recipe require a reason, a bigger purpose? Did this need to be done? Was it going to raise the bar somehow on crepes or was it just cool that you could do it? I have found myself at a handful of restaurants lately that have me questioning all the things I love to do in the kitchen (namely, mixing disparate things to make a new thing I think would be quite delicious) because I felt that they were innovating for the sake of innovating, and not actually making a grander version of anything while they were at it. Oh, you cannot imagine how dull the inside of my head has become. The worst outcome of this was that I never made the crepes, despite still wanting to very much.
Fortunately, after spending the first half of this week chasing a philosophically fascinating (“Can this really work?”) but utter flop (“No, it cannot.”) of a recipe, I was so tired of cooking and thinking about cooking I told my husband my earrings hurt. Like, I was tired to my earlobes. But I had corn. And I had milk and eggs and flour. And so I gave them a spin and they were every bit as delicious as I’d always imagined they’d be, especially the batch where I first charred the corn over a gas flame as a makeshift grill, like we once did here.
But those philosophical issues came back to pester me. Ugh, where should we go with this? And so, I came up with a few ideas, for those of you who, like me, cannot accept that these alone are perfect, and needn’t be pestered into becoming something else:
- High Summer Corn Crepes: Make a light tomato salad with slivered scallions or chives. Dress with mayo (if nobody is looking) or a little oil and vinegar. Eat with corn crepes.
- Buttermilk-Chive Corn Crepes: Use buttermilk instead of regular milk, add 1/4 cup minced chives to the batter. Serve with baby spinach and goat cheese salad.
- Taco-Style Corn Crepes: With tomatillo salsa and shredded chicken or with Mama Canales-Garcia’s Avocado-Shrimp Salsa. Choose only light fixings, as crepes are far more delicate than soft tacos.
- Breakfast Sweet Corn Crepes: Add 1 tablespoon sugar to the batter, serve with salted butter, maple syrup and powdered sugar. Please, promise you’ll invite me over.
- Mexican Street Vendor Corn-Style: Grilled corn slathered with butter and mayo, crumbly salty cheese, chili powder, lime and … forget it, it was on.
One of the reasons I love crepes so much although the first one always ends up in the trash (accept it and move on, I tell myself), by the third one, you will hopefully find something of a rhythm to them and from here, it’s so easy, especially with a recipe like this, which isn’t overly delicate. Because they’re nice enough not to stick to each other, they can be stacked for storage. They keep well; you could wrap this stack in plastic in the fridge and peel off what you need the next day. Or, you can make the batter and keep it around for two or so days, pouring some off for this meal or that. Finally when it comes time to serve them, you can keep them plain with the fixings on the side, DIY-style, or you can stack them with their fillings and make a “cake” that you serve in wedges. Needless to say, I’m on Team Cake. Always.
One year ago: Charred Pepper Steak Sauce
Two years ago: Hazelnut Plum Crumb Tart
Three years ago: Nectarine Brown Butter Buckle
Four years ago: Sour Cherry Slab Pie
Five years ago: Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte (We make this twice a summer. I’ve also been promising you new photos with updated proportions for a year. Please nag me until I get this done?)
Six years ago: Zucchini Bread
Charred Corn Crepes
Yield: 9 to 10 9-inch crepes (more if your pan is smaller). For a pretty ta-da of a stack, you’ll want to double this. My stack photographed above used 1 1/2 batches of this because I had to save a half-batch for a certain 3 year-old who is broken hates cheese.
1 large fresh corn cob
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk, any fat level will do
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Butter or oil for pan
To char corn: Shuck your corn but leave the “stem” on if you can; it makes a great handle. Remove small children from the area. Over a hot grill or an open gas-stove flame, char the corn until well-blackened but not completely burnt. It tends to snap, crackle and yes, pop a little making terrifying noises (hence, the removal of small people) but will smell amazing (like popcorn and fireplaces and summer camp). Remove cob from heat, and when cool enough to handle, shave off kernels using a large knife. You should have about 1 cup kernels. Transfer to a bowl and pour melted butter over it; let cool to lukewarm.
Make crepe batter: Place corn-butter mixture in a blender with flour, milk, eggs and salt. Blend until mostly smooth (a few bits and coarse piece of corn are awesome but too many will make the batter hard to pour and spread in the pan). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or two days; this resting time really, really makes it easier to make crepes that don’t fall apart.
Cook crepes: Heat an 8- to 9-inch skillet (nonstick makes things even easier here) over medium heat. Coat very lightly with butter or oil. Pour 3 (for an 8-inch skillet) to 4 tablespoons (for a larger size) batter into the center of the skillet and roll it around so that it evenly coats the bottom. Cook until edges appear lightly brown, then flip the crepe* and cook it on the reverse side for another 30 seconds.
Slide crepe onto a paper towel-coated plate or counter. Repeat with remaining crepe batter, re-buttering pan as needed. Cooling crepes can overlap on the towels. Cooled crepes can be stacked and will not stick to each other.
Mexican Street Corn Crepe Stack: I spread about 1 teaspoon mayonnaise (which is very scant and you can definitely use more; use yogurt or sour cream if you dislike mayo) between each crepe, then sprinkled about 2 teaspoons crumbled cotija cheese (but you can use ricotta salata, feta or another crumbly salty cheese if you cannot find it), a couple shakes of chili powder and a small amount of chopped cilantro (but you can use flat-leaf parsley if you’re not into cilantro). The toppings add up quickly as you stack the crepes, so don’t be afraid to go easy on them; you’ll still get a full amount of topping with each bite. Serve with lime wedges, squeezing some lime juice over each wedge.
* Flipping crepes is scary! Here are some tips: 1. Crepes fall apart quite easily when they’re pale and undercooked. The ones with slightly more brown spots are easier to flip, for the same reason that toast is firmer than fresh bread. As you get more confident, you can aim for paler crepes. 2. I use a weird, need-to-show-with-a-video-one-day two spatula flipping technique, usually use one offset frosting spatula (I have this one) and one flexible fish spatula (I have this one and is one of my most favorite kitchen tools, ever, the only thing I use for 99% lifting/turning kitchen tasks). I use the smaller one to get underneath the crepe enough that I can lift it enough that I can slide the larger one far underneath it, making flipping it a cinch. I promise. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be a crepe-making junkie like me.
Corn in pancakes has long been down in Asian cooking so when i saw this I was so excited! I love the way you pureed it into the crepe battersuch a nice alternative to get hat corn flavour with out the kernels.
I am thinking of mexican inspired crepe corn wrap with beans, goat cheese and roasted veggies tonight. Love this!
These could also be great with chorizo, as in a more fun varity of pigs in a blanket.
I love the versatility of crepes. They can be used with any meal and be sweet or savory. I would love to see your flipping technique because that is always a tricky part of crepes. :-)
I have a question about cooking crepes… Is this batter very loose and “watery” to be easily spread around? Because as instructed here, to heat up the pan first, the batter cooks on me before I have time to swirl it outwards…
Mandy — It should be loose enough to spread; you pour then lift the skillet (I can add this) and roll it around quickly. If ever a crepe batter (this or another) is too thick, just add a splash more milk.
And I just got rid of my crepe maker, I donated it, because I haven’t used it in years. Darn it!
I’ll bet these would be awesome with a little bit of Corn Butter on them!
There’s a fancy pants taco bar near our house I love to go to for brunch. (Including my first Mother’s Day.) They do corncakes with jalapeno in the batter and they are served with maple syrup. Those became MY obsession to recreate in the kitchen. Just wanted to toss the idea out to you — in my first round I also included green onion along with the hot pepper. Good stuff.
I LOVE corn crepes. Best filling we’ve found for them is goat cheese and roasted green chilis. Then we top ours with homemade mole. Like a french version of a tamale. SO good.
YUM! I love getting Elote here in San Diego, so I am all about that Mexican Street Corn Crepe stack. So creative!
I love this idea and the corn crepes somehow feel healthier than regular crepes. Can’t wait to make them.
ok i admit you made me make them asap!!!
amazing taste of yours!!
love it!!
thank you
Completely in love with this idea! Such a great way to use all the sweet summer corn we have right now!
A spatula for turn?! How novel. And all this time I’ve just been using my fingers to grab and flip real quick when making crepes! Loving this idea for savory crepes. Our latest {sweet ones} have been smeared with butter, sprinkled with sugar and squeezed with a bit of lemon juice. Eaten just as fast as they can be made.
Perfect for High Summer :)
These sound fantastic, and I love the variations you suggest.
While I in no way condone calling people (especially small ones) broken, I have to agree that anyone who doesn’t like cheese isn’t quite right.
You have your own branded rubber spatulas? THAT’S ADORABLE.
kayepants — It was kind of an impulse buy.
Julia — I hope you know I was joking. He’s totally intact, except his throat, which is sore right now. :(
Definitely digging these! Yum!
oh my, what a wonderful way to use the fresh corn that’s everywhere this time of year…
Quick question: if you make them ahead of time and store them in the fridge, what is the best way to re-heat?
Pam
Going off your high summer idea, this salad would be delicious in these, the corn being in the batter of course. The champagne vinegar is so perfect with sweet summer tomatoes and creamy avocados.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-corn-avocado-salad-10000001906286/
I’ve been making this recipe as is for years..so delicious.
i would have never thought to make anything like this but it looks absolutely delicious!
You are such a genius! This would have never crossed my mind, yet I can imagine it now. Do you suppose frozen corn could be used when fresh isn’t available? (mind is racing ahead..)
IN the west those are tortillas, delish, heirloom tomato salsa is on now too.
Delicious!!!
My boys’ godmother used to make corncakes which she topped with pork loin, sautéed onions & bell pepper, and a black bean sauce which would possibly be improved only by your corn crepes. For the black bean sauce, you cook a can of black beans & rotel tomatoes over medium heat until most of the liquid has cooked off, then add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Keep on medium heat until everything is melted & mixed together. Yummy!
Yes please, that stack looks fabulous!
Yes to crepes and those crepe tacos!
Crepes are my friend! Sadly I don’t make them enough in my household. But I should! Hmmmm now that my mouth is watering…I have all the ingredients. OK if this work day would speed up I could be making crepes soon!!!!!!!!!!! WOOT WOOT!
A stack of these spread with some spicy miso butter (white miso + sriracha + butter) would be insane.
mmmmm, I love corn crepes, these looks so delicious! xx
Corn is one of my favorite vegetables in the summertime, these look great!
My grandmother (who is French) used to make me a special version of crepes. She would wrap the crepes around a cheese and ham filling, line up in a pyrex dish, pour cream over top, add a sprinkle of cheese to the top, and bake until everything was nice and gooey. I may have to try this take on the crepe with some tex-mex filling ingredients and a black bean sauce!
These look incredible. I am totally making these ASAP, and filling them with flaked salmon and some kind of spicy papaya salsa. And maybe ricotta salata, because everything’s better with cheese!
What a simple and beautiful recipe! I LOVE a good, crumbly cotija cheese!
I just have to know… how in the world do you keep your stove so white and clean?? I’m almost hoping you photoshop it. Cause I know that my gas stove never looks that immaculate, even immediately after I scrub it till my elbows hurt.
Liz — It’s because I know the secret to keeping it clean with almost no effort. Here you go. :)
Susan — Thank you and yes. (I added the 1 cup measure in the instructions so that you’ll know how much.)
Pam — Good question! I don’t have a microwave so I wouldn’t be very good at instructions, but I suspect you could so in there, maybe in a covered dish? I might just do in foil or an ovenproof dish at a very low temperature in the oven.
Looks really, really good! :-)
I am definitely going to hunt down some fresh Taber corn and make these!
Very timely now that I have 9 ears of corn to deal with. I’m planning to make corn ice cream with some of them and I bet that would make a good filling for these crepes. Dessert idea? Corn crepes filled with corn ice cream and fresh berries…hmmmm
this recipe was worth it just for the brilliant realization of charring corn on the stove. NEED TO DO. ASAP.
Hey! No fair! What is the clean stove secret?!! Also, what does a “flexible fish spatula look like? I want one!
Judith — I have a link to the fish spatula I have next to the mention of it. And I linked to my stove tip in my response to Liz (“Here you go.”).
Thank you! Looks like I’m going to have a killer Thursday night with my Softscrub!
Deb this is such a GREAT IDEA! I love it! Even before you get to the crepes stage, just that liquid, could be a great base for soups, sauces, dips, you name it with some simple tweaks. That is, if I could even get to that stage…because your charred corn looks so PERFECT as is. I wouldn’t even want to blend it up!
I have to say I’m so happy you did not give up on the idea of these corn crepes because they look so incredibly delicious. I have been finding excuses to throw fresh sweet corn in just about anything and this recipe is no different!
It worked perfectly, didn’t it? :)
I’m for spreading with salted butter and drizzling with honey, sort of corn bread esque, for a snack or breakfast. I am drooling!
Mmmm, these sound good! The breakfast suggestion reminded me of johnnycakes, which you can get in diners here in RI. They’re thin like these and are lovely with butter and syrup. Here’s a link .. the “Newport style” (scroll down) are what I mean.
http://www.kenyonsgristmill.com/johnny_cakes.html
Eegads…so simple but so yummy! Any thoughts on whether they will freeze? What a way to get a little of the summer corn flavor when we no longer have the farmer’s markets overflowing with pure golden sweetness. Now we just have to find a way to do something so that “tomato season” can be lengthened as well ( sauce just doesn’t do it for me…) and I would kill for a “real tomato” after September. I eat corn and tomatoes daily when they are in season, and NEVER tire of them! That precious son of yours has had some very good parenting, by the way, he is showing such an un-self-conscious joy in caring for” Kentucky”! Wonderful.
Mmmm! So, you just blend the corn into the crepes and leave a few chunks? Any ideas on getting those last little silky strings off? A few always find their way into whatever I make! Thank you for so many good ideas!
Mind. Blown.
My problem is that I can’t move past the corn on the cob stage.
So, I know the crepes are supposed to be the main event here, but I can’t stop thinking about that corn on the open stovetop flame. Why have I never done this?? (Will try the crepes, too.)
Corn crepes are a SouthEast Asia speciality. Love this so so much! It’s been a while since I made it :)
My husband hates cheese. It was almost a deal breaker.
(I suspect that your small person will get over the cheese phobia in time).
Mmh bet they taste super fresh an yummy! :D
I’m just wondering how this differs from a tortilla…? Is it thinner? Has flour? Of course, I don’t know what’s in a tortilla ;-P But, I am just wondering.
Look yummy. ;D
Let me start off by saying Corn will always win my heart.
I was just spending the past few months obsessing over this same philosophical quandary (re: recipes for the sake of recipes/adding variations that didn’t really need to be done). I’ve been working on a lot of variations of Indian sandwiches lately and I think, really? Does anyone really need a saag paneer sandwich? Sure, I think it’s delicious, but am I just contributing to an busy and congested world of redundant attention seeking food peddlers?
I wonder where does the line come into play? As with most things, that line may not exist, thanks for re-emphasizing the goal of deliciousness and paying homage to the tinkering. I find so much comfort in knowing that other people ask themselves these kinds of things and just want to shout out to tell you that your food reflections soothe me.
I think that a real and authentic love for what you do shines through your writing, connecting us with your experience, and helping me form a deeper and even more whimsical love for food.
So long story short, this recipe totally needed to be written! This reminds me of a French-inspired cachapas – the venezuelan fresh corn pancake, that is stuffed with cheese. This sounds so dreamy and am seriously considering a 1 am grocery store run to recreate it.
I feel really silly asking this, but have you ever tried this recipe without eggs? As a ovo-phobe I have always held off making crepes for fear of egg free consistency issues.
Keep being awesome.
Wow!! These look amazing! I’ll have to try them!
Great recipe! I am just starting to imagine all that could work with these crepes….
Yum! These look totally delicious…I’ve never tried a crepe version with corn, sounds weird but you made me curious! I just don’t really like crepes to be too thin, do you think it will still work if I make them thicker?
xo, Elisa
I have been dreaming about this Mexican street corn for days, and now you go and add creeps to the mix? My son will be forever grateful.
My crepe recipe makes 50-60 creeps if that is any indication to how much he likes creeps.
I see a SMITTEN KITCHEN rubber scraper! Really?? Are these available?
I was taught that when you roll the crepe batter in the pan, pour a little off and back into your bowl. This gives you a little “crepe handle” to either flip it or pull it off. You can cut the handle off or roll it in if the recipe calls for rolled/folded crepes.
Yum! Another idea – I saw a recipe for corn tortillas in a sauce made from pureed black beans and chilies on serious eats. I bet that sauce would be fantastic drizzled (or poured!) over the top of those crepes!
Sometimes simple is the best way. I learn that the hard way a little too often. Good job with the simplicity, though, because these look amazing.
I just learned how to make crepes. I love that these are corn, for my gluten free friends!
I have been binging on sweet corn these last few weeks (and loving it!). As soon as I finish eating my sweet corn & chive buttermilk biscuits, I’m making these.
Can you recommend a modification to this recipe to make the corn crepes gluten free?
Rose — I’d just use a gluten-free flour blend intended for baking (i.e. an approximation of an AP flour substitute. Cup4Cup is excellent, but pricy.)
Katy — Ha! No. I was looking on Williams-Sonoma.com to see if they still made the rubber scrapers I like because my old ones are in bad shape and saw they had a personalization option and kind of got carried away. It was an impulse buy. (Link)
Corn crepes vs. tortillas — Tortillas are just flour or masa, water, salt and sometimes oil. There are no eggs, no milk or butter, and the corn used isn’t fresh.
Kusuma Rao — First of all, I’ve had a saag paneer sandwich or pizza on my cooking wish list for eons (a restaurant I loved used to make Saag Paneer Pizza, and rudely didn’t include the recipe in their cookbook so I’ve vowed to hack it) so in my totally unbiased opinion, it’s a worthwhile endeavor and also I want some. 2. Technically speaking, a recipe is only worth it if you want to eat it. Audiences aside, if you crave it and enjoyed making and eating it, well, that’s what cooking is about. Or should be, in an ideal world. 3. I really do understand the bigger picture, which is that restaurant chefs need to work very hard to get attention and if they’re just making soup the way everyone has always made soup, it makes it harder. Press attention, which brings customers, which hopefully leads to that whole making-a-living thing, often comes from doing things in an exceptional or at least noteworthy way, but it comes faster from the latter, which also leads to kinda gross stuff like hamburgers with doughnuts as buns and this restaurant on 9th Avenue that was making cheese with… oh god, let’s not even talk about it. Everyone says “ew” but they also click, click, click on the articles and show up where they may not have otherwise. The same could be said for the web version, “link bait.” Some things that draw attention are excellent (“why, I never knew I could make pasta like that before!”) and some are flops (“this was kind of gummy and gross”) and it’s always a gamble. I still personally gravitate towards people I think are doing interesting things, things I hadn’t considered before, so it’s inevitable I’ll also be sitting at a two-star restaurant one night pushing a flabby plate of rye pasta with fatty pastrami around, questioning if there’s a point to any of it. It only seems pointless when it doesn’t succeed. Okay, that was a very long response. I think about this stuff.
I love your response to Kusuma Rao. And so true. Innovation or crazy mistake? I teeter between those often. Not to say I am making things more fantastic than the average chef, but that I gravitate toward the unusual. Which is why you are so awesome – always changing it up.
I am so glad you charred your corn on the stove. I will as well. So much easier than firing up that pesky grill.
My daughter will love these ! can’t wait to make them
Such a great idea for corn!! My hubby would love these
Nice. But, I must contest your recipe. Proper, fluffy crepes require 4 eggs. No excuses. My grandmother taught me, and she made everyone perfect, even the first, everytime. She also tossed them into the air to flip them just to make sure I didn’t get too presumptuous while learning. When following this one key thing, all crepes made were melt in your mouth to die for. I prefer mine rolled around sausage and covered in Canadian Maple Syrup. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…….
bought corn at the farmer’s market to add to a black bean salad, haven’t made it yet, but will today, grilled corn + black beans + grated serrano + red wine vinegar + evoo + almost forgot chopped onion. sounds good to me, anyhow, thank you for the idea of grilling it on the stove. brilliant.
How come is it that lately when I try to copy your recipes to my files, the “ingredients” portion comes out with all these distracting tabs all over the place? Are you doing something different, Deb?
Hi Betsy — Not doing anything different; same formatting and template for the last seven years. (I’m too lazy to change anything.) If you can show me a picture of what’s happening, I’d be happy to take a look and see if I can figure it out.
I must make this soon and fill them with smoked pork BBQ. Oh my gosh. like BBQ enchiladas. I can TASTE IT.
This recipe basically describes Venezuelan cachapas, but crepe-thin instead of thick. For cachapas, just make them thicker, like pancakes, and serve with some variety of Mexican cheese, or mozarella. (No points for guessing which country I was born in!)
So, I made these tonight with the gluten-free flour I get from Trader Joe’s and they were outstanding! Not all things translate well to gf, but these certainly did. Thank you for another excellent recipe to add to my long list of favorites from you. I did find that I needed to stir them well after they had been in the fridge. Some of the flour seems to settle to the bottom.
I’m a crepe lover & cannot wait to try this! Oh the places this can go! I make cornmeal flapjacks sometimes (sweet ones for butter and maple syrup or savory ones for pulled pork shoulder with tangy slaw) and next time I will add charred corn to the batter because I know it will be divine!
All the variations sound delicious, and I understand that many people can take trips down memory lane with crepes, but really and truly there is almost no yummier way to eat corn than Mexican street-vendor style (other than plain grilled when perfectly fresh). So that’s the one to try first folks. And even if you don’t think you like mayo, give it a go; it really makes the flavor oh so muy authentico. Oh yum, I feel like going and finding myself a cup full of corny deliciousness right now! Good thing tomorrow is fresh-corn-at-the-farmer’s-market-day and I can make some of these.
I really like this I might try an extra egg though. Been craving something like this for weeks. Will let you know how I go. Great post, awesome pics.
I’m totally drooling over this recipe, but not sure if I can make it in my fully electric kitchen :,( Do you think that putting the corn under a broiler would yield similar results, or is the flame element necessary?
As soon as I read this recipe I knew I had to have them. I couldn’t even wait the hour for them to rest in the fridge (took a freezer shortcut). Same night I was craving enchiladas so I used your corn crepes and layered with some shredded chicken and cheese and sauce. While it was delicious, I was sad that the enchilada toppings overwhelmed the crepes (so the edges where there was more crepe than filling was my favorite). I will be making these again. Thank you for the recipe.
Re: the squash and potato torte you refer to from 5 years ago. I love it so much and make it often, it is delicious for lunch the next day, I’m overdue to make it again! The hits just keep on coming, thanks Deb!
Grace (#86): Here is where you need to pull out your blow torch and char those pieces of corn! Good luck! JP
Wow, this looks incredible! I have to try this!!
That looks great and such a wonderful idea, I had pancakes this morning similar to crepes but I will try it out.
Made crepes for breakfast this morning *without* first checking your blog. We missed out on delightful chargrilled corn goodness. These look incredible– will try them next time!
Delighted to see this before making breakfast and also because we have grilled (charred) corn leftover from dinner last night. How I don’t know but it was meant to be!
These look amazing! I love the idea of stacking them up with mayo and cheese :)
This savory crepe recipe looks great!!
Could you make these with cornmeal and leave out the regular flour? Or sub another type of flour to make them gluten-free? When I was a child, my mother used to stir cooked corn into pancake batter.. We all loved that.
Holy crap these look great!
So great! I don’t have a blender, just a food processor, so my batter was a little chunkier than I expected. I had to add extra liquid, about 1/3 cup to a double batch, to make it spread. I used my 12 inch skillet, and needed almost 1/2 cup to cover the bottom. It smells great and browned well. I hope they cool down soon so I can devour them.
Hi Deb, Is charring the corn necessary? I only ask because I like the breakfast option you mentioned, but am not sure blackened char would be a welcome addition alongside maple syrup and powdered sugar. Would I be wrong about that, or should I skip that step and use the corn raw? Thanks!
JMS — No, not at all for the breakfast option.
Jason — Four eggs for what? The same amount of milk or different? How about the flour? It’s possible this recipe is just scaled differently as ingredients levels cannot be looked at in isolation.
OMG, this looks incredibly tasty – would love to try it :)
Recipe is looking marvelous!Lots of amazing things can be done with corn. That’s a great idea.
So I made these this weekend with mixed results: I thought the crepe stack was ok, the charred corn addition to the batter was delicious, but the stack was lacking. However, I made pulled pork crepes using the left over crepes (very light on the meat filling) and topped with tomatillo salsa (from your rec in the recipe) and that was absolutely delicious! I’m thinking the leftover crepe cake slices are going to need some of the salsa and maybe some black beans. I loved the new twist on crepes, just would probably not make the stack next time, just the lovely individual crepes. Thanks for sharing!
Deb: Thank you for the wonderful recipes and fresh ideas. Having made my own crepes for years both savoury and sweet they are such a versatile and easy to make meal. Never would have thought of using corn…. Someone in the comments section mentioned liking jalapenos with something similar and I can just imagine that complimenting the corn crepe. Perhaps a Monteray Jack cheese sauce with a wee bit of white sparkling wine both in the sauce and in a glass would compliment it too. It is great that you all make all us foodies and wannabe chefs think about pairing foods in wonderful and unusual combinations. No wonder you have such a following!
I am sitting here at work waiting for lunch to come, I’m starving. I looked at your site and seriously my mouth started to water. YUM! these look good. I would love these with some corn and black bean salsa on top, oh and avocado!
Soooo delicious! I made a sweet version served with maple syrup. I felt like it didn’t need the 1 tbsp sugar but my corn was fresh and sweet. We went camping and I brought some. They were a delight to eat outdoors.
The recipe was foolproof if you follow Deb’s tips. Refrigeration definitely helps. The longer the better. I found that when the edges start turning brown is when I can turn it. I loosed up add edges first then turn. After a few turns, the pan becomes non-stick.
Thanks, Deb!
I made these this afternoon (as part of my semi-hidden agenda to move my family toward vegetarianism). It went over very well and even my five-year-old loved hers even though she didn’t like the look of it. The first two were rather thick so I did indeed thin down with milk. That helped and the remainder came out pretty nice and rustic looking. They were delicious straight out of the pan. I’m not sure how I will fill and serve them next time. (Should I make them a la minute or try to prepare everyone’s with fillings and toppings?) They were definitely a bit better when hot and fresh. We’ll see. My wife asked for another, said they were delicious, and asked if we could make them again. This is the result I look for! Thank you again!
Jim
Have to say thank you! Always been too scared to make crepes, but these came out perfectly! And delicious filled with a lightly dressed summery tomato salad.
My mother used to make sweet crepes for us growing up – we called them Aunt Dotty Pancakes because her Aunt Dotty used to make them for her. Since going gluten-free I’ve tried buckwheat crepes but never at home. Now I want to try your recipe with my GF flour mix. If I actually made crepes at home it would legitimize my desire for a certain absolutely gorgeous Staub crepe pan that I am convinced I can’t live without.
Thanks for the inspiration – did a version last night with salsa verde layered, yum. For flipping, I found that slipping the crepe on a plate with about a quarter hanging off, then inverting the plate over the pan was pretty successful. Without a little overhang it does not let go well. (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200424533443794&set=a.1101665069734.2015199.1469922338&type=1&theater¬if_t=like)
I’m surprised you don’t know the 1st pancake trick!
You don’t need waste entire pancake or crepe!
A pinch of flour in the oil first – causes the sugars to react with the amino acids making the oil perfect. So all pancakes will brown instead just absorbing excess oil.
I was, until recently, working as a crepier and one of our main crepes was a corn crepe. Some of my favorite dishes made with this crepe was sausage, roasted red peppers, mozzarella, and creme fraiche. Another was chorizo and sautéed spinach, tomatillo creme fraiche, and a fried egg on top. Another tip when making crepes..after the crepe is cooked, and before you’re going to put in a savory filling, put down an egg wash before you put the filling in, it gives the crepe better structure and won’t come apart, as easily.
These sound like they’d be great with smoked salmon either for an appetizer or a main course. I’ll be finding out!
I made these tonight and they were perfect! I used sour cream, feta and cilantro as fillings. Gorgeous! I was surprised by how thin the crepe batter seemed to be, but they cooked to the perfect consistency. I’ve never been afraid of crepes, and now thanks to you I’m kind of obsessed with stacked crepes. (I’m going to make the amazing-looking crepe cake with hazelnut cream in your cookbook soon! And can I just say? I’ve made about 90% of the recipes in the cookbook & I’m so happy.)
This was great. The local corn has just starting coming in so we had a mini corn festival. Next time maybe I should follow the directions… I didn’t blend the batter enough – I thought chunks would be more fun but the batter didn’t spread well. The crepes were amoebae like but the little tendrils got crisp which was delicious. I also didn’t heed the ” light on the toppings” so I had a quite a little dome.. I added more corn (corn fest) and a touch of diced red onion with the feta, cilantro and lots of lime juice. Yum what a combination. Thank you Dale
I made these yesterday for today’s blog post – oh my, they are absolutely delicious. Thanks for finally getting around to trying them!
These were delicious and a snap to put together. I served them street vendor style along with some roasted tomatillo salsa I had. With Mama Canales-Garcia’s Avocado and Shrimp Salad on the side, it was great dinner. Thanks for the great ideas.
I made these tonight and clearly I need to watch a video of your technique. I could not flip these successfully so I have a lot of absolutely delicious crepe fragments. I even tried making silver dollar size but they would even stick to the spatula and fold on themselves. I made them with buttermilk – do you think that could have affected the consistency?
Cindi — Two things, one, definitely let it get some color underneath and it will be less likely to tear as you flip it. (As you get more confident, you can let it color less.) Also, see this? To get that spatula that far underneath the crepe, I lifted it with the one in my right hand (uh, when I wasn’t holding the camera). So, a little lift and then you can slide the spatula you want to flip with WAY underneath. After that, flipping is just a flick of the wrist. Does that help?
That looks absolutely divine! Will have a go at this later on!
After getting several ears of fresh corn in our CSA this week, I began searching for new and interesting recipes to use it. I came across this recipe and knew we had to try the breakfast variation (my sisters and I made crepes just about every weekend growing up, so I’m quite fond of them!). We made them this morning and holy cow, were they delicious!!! I forgot to add the tablespoon of sugar per your suggestion, but with the sprinkle of powdered sugar and light drizzle of maple syrup, I think it worked better without the extra sweetness. Great idea, Deb! I may not go back to regular crepes after eating these, and I’m eager to try the savory variations next.
It is strange how you seem to read my mind Deb. I’ve got beans to eat and I wanted some sort of corn accompaniment. I came to SK to search and turns out that you posted this just a few days ago. I’m planning to sub sprouted corn flour for the wheat flour. You never fail to get me re-enthused about dinner (and to make me work for it – but that is part of the fun)!
So these are perfect to eat with this Indian corn salad i have been making. I use roasted corn taken off the cob, tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos, cilantro, chaat masala, amchur (dried mango powder), red pepper, salt and lime juice. You should try it. i think you would LOVE it. thanks for the recipe.
susan — That sounds SO good. I really love amchur powder.
This is such a good idea for a savory crepe! so glad to have discovered your site. i’m finding a lot of useful recipes. I tried your apple galette the other day–the crust on that is perfect and so easy!
This looks amazing! I am just wondering, I love to use old cast iron pans, they are the best! So, what do you think about making crepes with them or is it worth buying a coated crepe pan? By the way, I love your site! You are my go to person for anything I make now! I love your cookbook too!
Michelle — Thank you. I think if you have a comfort level making them in a good old cast iron, you should. But when people have a lot of trouble with crepes, I usually suggest a nonstick, as I think it can make it easier for a beginner.
I’m glad you decided to make these. They look delicious!
I used the broiler. It was REALLY SLOW. Half hour maybe….but the results were worth it. Maybe this is a useful method if you have children in the house because there was no popping and no burning…just the nice flavor.
For topping I used minced red onion, toasted cumin seeds, and Romano cheese. I only used half the batter and will try the rest with maple syrup and raspberries. Please do come over and join me for breakfast! Thank you for this recipe!
I just made this and it tastes lovely. But I have an electric burner instead of your normal gas one. We tried to cook the corn in the oven in its husk and also roast the kernels off the cob, but that didn’t exactly char it and we found that the corn flavor didn’t come through in the crepe. Do you have any recommendations on how to properly char corn with an oven or how else to pull out the corn flavor?
RG — I’d use the broiler and rotate it a lot.
Fantastic recipe. I love crepes and have never thought of using corn in them. Thanks for this recipe as well as the “extra” ideas! Off to buy corn now!
Hi Deb – I have made the crepes twice with no success and was wondering if you could help me identify my problem! Each time I made the batter I let it rest in the fridge for 2-3 hours. I am using a traditional black iron crepe pan and I have used it many times before successfully. The crepes in this recipe, for some reason, stick to the pan and fall apart. I have tried making them twice and each time the batter completely falls apart and I cannot flip it without it coming to pieces. Is anyone else having trouble? I am not sure what I am doing wrong! Any ideas?
Grace — Try cooking them longer. They’re much easier to flip without breaking once they have more color underneath (for the same reason that toasted bread is firmer than fresh bread). As you get more confident/comfortable with the process, you can cook them a little paler. If they’re sticking, however, you might need to better oil/heat your pan. Steel pans definitely benefit from longer heating times.
Thank you Deb! I got another batch of corn from this week’s CSA so I might try it again.
I made a 2nd batch of crepes with the same batter today and filled alternate layers with cilantro-lime pesto – that turned out to work just as well as the original. Also discovered that tofu cream cheese isn’t half bad…
I’m just curious for the stacked crepe recipe. How do you keep it hot or reheat it after assembly?
Elizabeth — I just served it lukewarm. You could rewarm it in an oven fully stacked, if desired.
Deb, you have had such a winning streak this summer! Tonight I am making this recipe for the third time, (the Mexican crepe stack version, of course, and with the homesick Texan carnitas on the side) and the one-pan farro has made it into our dinner rotation no less than four times (and we rarely do repeats at all). Did the zucchini crisps last night night. Keep the awesomeness coming! :-)
Hi,Deb
This corn crepes receipt is amazing, I never thought of using corns as ingedient to make crepes. What a wonderful dessert after lunch! I’m a big fan of crepes and corns, these two are the best food in the world. Corns are perfect match with the crepes, they are sweet and juicy. Every time when I make crepes, it doesn’t taste like it. But with brilliant receipt is worth a try no I mean like many try!! And by the way nice pictures!!
This looks incredible. I came here because I wanted your tutelage for charring corn on a gas stove, I stayed for the crepes. I guess I’ll be making these very soon.
The chef I used to work for paired corn with peaches and it easily became one of my favorite pairings. Filling these with some diced peaches mixed with a little fresh mint, maybe topped with a little creme fraiche, sounds amazing. Can’t wait for summer to try these out!
I never try to make the fresh corn crepes yet. I think I need to try it. I usually make crepes with fruits such as banana, papaya and strawberry. It’s healthier where sometimes I placed some eats and vegetables to make a different taste.
I am pregnant. It is polar-votex-winter of doom. I can’t have a margarita, so these are happening at my house tonight. I am so excited. I plan on making a spicy black-bean puree for the filling, along with some cilantro and feta (because it’s what i have), and some lime-pickled onions. I used frozen corn, which i’m sure will not yield quite the same flavor, but seems promising nonetheless. I charred it in a cast iron skillet on my stove top.
Made these last night (Mexican Street Vendor Crepe style) with sour cream, feta, chili powder, cayenne, and the thinnest slivers of avocado between every crepe. My corn was bought fresh but cut off the cob and frozen; I broiled it straight from the freezer, rotating frequently, for maybe 5 minutes tops. It was such a revelation that there is another batch of crepe batter in the fridge right now, barely 12 hours later. I’d love to make this with the shrimp-avocado salsa next!
My mother would take leftover corn on the cob, when there was any due to a large family. She would make a basic crepe recipe and add the corn to the batter. She used a cast iron pan and would add crepe/corn batter flipping once then right to a plate and while warm top with thinly sliced tomatoes, salt pepper to taste, heaven. I have always loved how corn and tomatoes compliment each other
I like the idea of stovetop grilled corn. I plan to try using tongs and the “stem” (is that part of the stalk?) if needed.
Any thoughts on swapping half the flour out for corn masa flour?
I use a thin ,metal pie lifter type spatula…the thin tip gets under the crepe,and ,then the metal ,because I. Triangle form, is big enough to slide over and flip.Much easier then using two tools,and,wipes clean easily.
good
For winter. when fresh corn isn’t available: Trader Joe’s sells frozen fire roasted corn. It’s good.
ALSO indispensable for these crepes from Trader Joes–Sweet & Spicy pickled Jalapenos & Jalapeno crisps. I topped the crawfish enchilada crepes w these. Both are A) addictive B) piled high in the pantry.
I have made crepes a lot before, and strongly agree they are not nearly as hard as their reputation suggests. But honestly, I just could not get these to crepe. I ended up making a perfectly nice corn pudding. But no, not crepes.
Marianne, I had the same problem. Maybe its the liquid/& type) to solid ratio. Jacques Pepin’s corn crepe recipe calls for 5 ears of corn, increased flour, eggs and less milk. I found once I added extra flour –about 2 tablespoons– I had great success (non stick pan, Deb is absolutely correct–large kernels cause flipping problems.
Made these with the LAST of my Silver Queen corn. We eat a LOT of crepes dishes, so I’m PDG w them. Using a loaned Vitamix, I got a fairly consistent batter. I was skeptical about the liquid to solid ration, and had trouble w the batter. I added additional flour (next time fine corn meal) after a test crepe. Much better results. Because corn & crawfish were made for one another, I did a *fresh* (Louisiana only) crawfish enchilada filling. I lightly & sparingly spread sour cream on the crepe, sprinkled Pepper Jack & baked for about 15 mins. Topped w Guac, and served w YOUR pickled onions & re-fried black beans. Wonderful!