Basic Crepe Batter

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar, if making sweet crepes
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, chervil, or chives

Directions

1. Make the batter by adding the eggs, milk, flour, melted butter or oil, salt, and sugar, if you’re using it, to a blender. Begin blending gently, then turn the speed up and blend until the mixture is silky, about 10 seconds. If herbs are going in, add them now and pulse just to mix. You can also do this in a bowl with a whisk, working briskly until no lumps remain.
2. For cooking, set a 10-inch nonstick, well-seasoned cast iron, or carbon steel skillet over medium heat and warm it for 2 minutes. Add a little oil or butter, then use a paper towel to leave only a thin coating behind.
3. With one hand on the skillet handle, add 3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60ml) of batter. Right away, tip and rotate the pan so the batter runs across the base in a thin, even sheet.
4. Cook until the surface no longer looks wet, about 20 seconds. Slide a thin metal or nylon spatula under an edge, lift it, then use both hands to take hold of that edge and turn the crepe over. Cook the other side for 10 seconds, then move it to a plate. Continue the same way with the rest of the batter. Add any fillings you like, for example butter with sugar and lemon juice, butter with jam, ham with cheese and eggs, or spinach with feta, and serve. To work ahead, stack the plain crepes, wrap them in plastic, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Warm them in a nonstick pan before serving.