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CIA Recipes

Savory Shrimp and Asparagus Crêpes - Print This Recipe

Shrimp and Asparagus

Yield: Serves 6


Crêpes
3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
3 cups milk
3 large eggs
1½ Tbsp. butter, melted
Melted butter or vegetable oil to coat pan, as needed

Crêpe filling
1¼ cups asparagus spears
½ cup finely minced shallot
2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 cup dry white wine
3 pints fish or vegetable stock
2 cups heavy cream
1½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2½ cups cooked shrimp, 70 count, peeled and deveined
Salt and white pepper as needed
1 Tbsp. chopped chervil leaves, for garnish

  1. Prepare the crêpe batter: Sift the flour and salt together into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In a separate bowl, blend in the milk, eggs, and butter. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand just until the batter is smooth. Let the batter rest in the refrigerator at least 1 and up to 12 hours before preparing the crêpes. Strain the batter if necessary to remove lumps before preparing the crêpes.
  2. Prepare the crêpes: Heat a crêpe pan or small skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with melted butter. Pour about ¼ cup batter into the crêpe pan, swirling and tilting the pan to coat the bottom with batter. Cook until the first side is set and has a little color, about 2 minutes. Adjust the temperature under the pan if necessary. Use a thin metal or heatproof rubber spatula to lift the crêpe and turn it over. Cook on the other side until the crêpe is cooked through, 1 minute more. Repeat with the remaining batter to prepare 12 crêpes in total. Reserve for later use.
  3. Cut off the bases of the asparagus and peel the stems lightly. Cook the asparagus spears in boiling, salted water until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon and immediately place them in ice-cold water. When they’ve cooled, remove and cut them into 1-inch pieces and put them aside.
  4. To make the white wine sauce, place the shallots and vinegar in a large skillet over moderate heat. Reduce the vinegar until it’s completely evaporated, about 4 minutes. Be careful not to color or burn the shallots.
  5. Add the white wine and reduce the liquid to about 1 tablespoon, about 15 minutes. Add the stock and reduce it by two-thirds, about 40 minutes. Add the cream and reduce the sauce by half, about 18 minutes.
  6. Mix the flour and butter together in a small bowl until a soft, almost runny past is formed. Add a teaspoon of the flour mixture to the sauce and dissolve it using a whisk. Bring the sauce to a boil. It should thicken slightly. Continue adding and whisking in the rest of the flour mixture until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes total.
  7. Take the sauce off the heat and fold in three-quarters of both the peeled and deveined shrimp and asparagus; reserve the rest for garnish. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
  8. Fill each crêpe with 1/3 cup of the filling. Roll up each crêpe and place onto a buttered dish. Smear a little of the sauce over each pancake, garnish with some shrimp and asparagus, and sprinkle with chervil. Serve immediately.