This recipe is an adaptation of a dish from the Troisgros Brothers, a famous restaurant in Lyon. The “gâteau” is a stack of delicate crêpes layered with creamy béchamel sauce, Gruyère or Comté cheese, ham, and prosciutto. There are countless variations to this elegant dish. You can use plain crêpes or herbed, as I do here. I sometimes make a more “locally flavored” version by folding crayfish and spinach into the béchamel (and omitting the hams). The key is cooking the assembled gâteau until it’s bubbly and brown. I like to serve this with a deeply flavored Smoked-Tomato Butter (p. 63), but this dish is great on its own. For a quick assembly, make the sauce and the crêpes a day or two in advance. Wrap the crêpes in plastic wrap and freeze until needed.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　

Crêpes

3/4 cup milk

　　2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for frying

　　3 eggs

　　1 cup flour

　　1/8 teaspoon salt

　　2 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs, such as any combination of tarragon, thyme, chives, and parsley, optional

　　

Béchamel Sauce

3 tablespoons butter, plus 1 teaspoon softened butter

　　3 tablespoons flour

　　1 to 1 1/2 cups milk

　　Salt and pepper

　　Freshly grated nutmeg

　　

To Assemble

8 herb crêpes

　　Béchamel sauce (about 1 cup)

　　3 ounces thinly sliced baked ham (smoked or unsmoked)

　　4 ounces grated Comté or Gruyère cheese

　　3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto

　　

Smoked-Tomato Butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　2 medium or 4 roma tomatoes, seeded and smoked (see smoking technique, p. 293), finely chopped

　　1/2 cup white wine

　　1 sprig basil, thyme, rosemary, or tarragon

　　1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 tablespoons softened butter

　　Salt and pepper

　　

Crêpes

Step 1

Scald the milk and add the 2 tablespoons butter, then cool to lukewarm. Place the eggs, flour, salt, and cooled milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the herbs and pulse a time or two to mix. Let the batter sit for 15 minutes (or overnight in the refrigerator) to relax and release air bubbles. (If you chill the batter overnight, thin it with a tablespoon or two of water before using.) Melt a small amount of butter in a small nonstick skillet or crêpe pan and when hot, pour in about 2 tablespoons of batter, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook for about 5 seconds. Remove from the pan and repeat. Should make 12–16 crêpes. Wrap extra crêpes in plastic and refrigerate or freeze for another time.

　　

Béchamel Sauce

Step 2

In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter, whisk in the flour, and cook over low heat for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, 1/2 cup at a time, making sure to cook it for a minute or so after each addition. The sauce should be as thick as thin mayo, but will thicken a bit more when it is brought to a boil.

　　

Step 3

Season to taste with salt and pepper and add a pinch of nutmeg. Simmer the sauce, whisking, over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the raw flour taste is gone. Pour it into a container and place the 1 teaspoon softened butter on top to allow it to melt. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the béchamel to keep it warm, and set aside until ready to use.

　　

To Assemble

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly oil or butter a baking pan. Place one crêpe on the baking pan and spread with a thin layer of béchamel. Cover with a layer of baked ham and top with another crêpe. Spread this crêpe lightly with béchamel and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with another crêpe, spread with béchamel, then cover with a thin layer of prosciutto. Repeat the process, then top with the last crêpe. Spread with more béchamel and sprinkle with cheese. For the best results, refrigerate for at least 15 minutes—the goal here is to firm the gâteau. Cut it into quarters, keeping it intact, and bake for 10–12 minutes, until cheese is melted and golden brown and the gâteau is warm all the way through. Divide the wedges among 4 plates and ladle Smoked-Tomato Butter alongside.

　　

Smoked-Tomato Butter

Step 5

Place the onion, garlic, tomatoes, wine, and herbs in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the tomatoes break down and the mixture starts to dry up, 10–15 minutes.

　　

Step 6

Remove it from the heat, take out the herb sprig, and cool it about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender and, with the motor running, drizzle in olive oil and softened butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The sauce should be thick enough to hold its shape on a plate. Return it to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.