Seafood “Abracadabra” Crepes
Seafood Abracadabra (aka Seafood Crepes)
Why are these Seafood Crepes called Seafood Abracadabra?
There was a fabulous upscale French restaurant in a town close to where I grew up. It was attached to an upscale clothing and home store, so I spent a LOT of time there. It was called Donecker’s of Ephrata and the Restaurant at Donecker’s. It was one of those restaurants you went to for special occasions (at least that’s what it was for my family, because it was on the pricey side). Anyway, my favorite dish there was called Crepes a la Bretagne. Seafood crepes baked in a white wine cheese sauce. Yummmmmmmm!! Then, one day, it was off the menu and I was devastated! This was before I was really interested in cooking, but I swore I would figure out how to make it someday.
Fast forward many years, I discovered I loved to cook and started collecting cookbooks. Julia Child was considered an expert on French cooking, and I started buying all of her cookbooks. I started with Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and eventually stumbled onto her recipe for seafood crepes in her The French Chef cookbook. I adapted it and my favorite recipe was born!
The reason we call it Seafood Abracadabra is because my mom, who LOVES this dish, couldn’t remember what it was called at Donecker’s. She started calling it Seafood Abracadabra – because it is just THAT magical! The name stuck and now I’m sharing it with you! I only make it for special occasions because – hello! Seafood is pricey! and it takes a while to make it (it usually takes me 4 hours, but I have major ADHD, sooooo…. lol). So plan ahead, allow yourself plenty of time, and it’s a great make-ahead meal you can keep in the fridge for a dinner party later in the day. I’ve even frozen it (it makes about 13 servings of two crepes each) and it became a decadent little treat on a bad day. I hope you find it magical too!
Oh, and if you remember Donecker’s, please comment below with your favorite memory and/or dish!
Steps to make Seafood Abracadabra
First, you will need to make crepes in a blender. Allow 2 hours (to overnight) to sit and allow the flour to absorb the liquid and rest.
Second, make the seafood filling. Mix the shrimp, crab and scallops together and cook just until cooked through in a skillet. Set aside and make the white wine cheese sauce.
Third, make the white wine cheese sauce, and add some to the seafood mixture, saving some for pouring over the crepes before baking.
Fourth, Make the crepes. Fill with filling and roll. Place in a baking dish (or get really fancy and use individual gratin baking dishes – 2 per dish) and cover with leftover sauce. Feel free to sprinkle some freshly grated gruyere over the top before baking.
Fifth – serve, enjoy, and bask in the accolades as your friends tell you it’s the best meal they’ve ever had! Bon Appetit!
Seafood Abracadabra (Seafood Crepes)
Equipment
- Baking dishes Use 2 -3 9×13 baking dishes, or get really fancy and use individual gratin dishes that fit two crepes each
Ingredients
Crepes
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup cold milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 tsp salt Table salt
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 4 Tbsp butter melted and cooled
Seafood Filling
- 2 Tbsp butter unsalted
- 3 Tbsp shallots minced
- 16 oz jumbo lump crab
- 3/4 pound bay scallops
- 1/2 pound large shrimp shelled and devained, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup dry vermouth
- salt and pepper to taste
Wine and Cheese Sauce
- 1/3 cup dry white vermouth
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch blend with 2 TBSP cold milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup grated swiss cheese divided (I use Gruyere)
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- white pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the Crepes
- Mix in a blender or with an electric mixer for one minute. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flour particles to swell and soften so your crepes will be light in texture. Heat a non-stick pan and brush with melted butter. Ladle 1/4 cup or 2 ounces of batter into pan and swirl, tilting pan, to cover evenly. Cook for about 1 minute, turning when you can shake it loose from the pan and it's nice and lightly browned underneath. Turn using a spatula, cook briefly and slide from pan to a plate. Cover with waxed paper or parchment to keep crepes from sticking together. You can make them in advance and they can be frozen.
Make the Filling
- Heat butter to bubbling in a 10 inch skillet. Stir in the shallots then the seafood. Toss and stir over moderately high heat for 1minute. Season with salt and pepper, then add the vermouth and boil rapidly until liquid has almost entirely evaporated. Scrape into a bowl and proceed with the wine and cheese sauce.
Make the Wine and Cheese Sauce
- Add the vermouth to the skillet and boil rapidly until reduced to a tablespoon. Remove from heat; stir in the cornstarch mixture, cream, seasonings. Simmer 2 minutes, stirring, then blend in 1/2 cup of the cheese and simmer a minute more. Season to taste.
Assemble and Bake the Crepes
- Blend half the sauce into the seafood, then place a big spoonful of the seafood mixture on the lower third of each crepe. Roll crepes with filling inside. Arrange the crepes closely together in a lightly buttered baking dish or into oval individual servings baking dishes (2 to a dish). Spoon over the rest of the sauce, sprinkle with cheese and dot with bits of butter. Refrigerate until you are ready to bake, fifteen to twenty minutes in a preheated 425-degree oven until bubbling hot and cheese topping has browned lightly. Serve immediately.
