Crespéou: French Omelet Cake
This recipe is featured in Provence, the Cookbook
Crespéou is made of different flavored omelets, piled on top of each other like a savory layer cake, generally served cool or at room temperature. A small frying pan or, ideally, an omelet pan is needed to make this. Omelet pans are a kitchen staple in France, thin and light, and with proper care they can last forever. Dishwashing liquid shouldn’t be used on them: they must be wiped clean, rinsed with water, then dried immediately.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Provence: The Cookbook by Caroline Rimbert Craig with photography by Susan Bell (Simon & Schuster 2023).
- Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the red omelet:
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- ½ red pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the plain omelet:
- 3 eggs
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Emmental or Cheddar
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
For the black omelet:
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons black olive Tapenade
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
For the green omelet:
- 3 eggs
- 4 sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
Preparation
Begin with the red omelet since it will take the longest. Place a small frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil. Add the red pepper and shallot and fry for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl, whisk in the tomato paste, and then add the red pepper and shallot, whisking until combined.
Preheat your broiler to high. Add the remaining sunflower oil to a small frying or omelet pan and place over medium–high heat on the stovetop. (If using the pan you used to cook the shallot and red pepper, ensure it is first wiped clean.) Pour in the red omelet mixture and cook for 1–2 minutes, using a spatula to coax the sides in a little, and lifting and inclining the pan to ensure the mixture gets well distributed. Finish the omelet under the broiler to cook the top, then carefully turn out onto a serving plate. Wipe any residual omelet off the pan, then begin the next.
To make the plain omelet, rinse the bowl used to whisk the red omelet mixture, then crack the eggs into it. Sprinkle in the black pepper and grated cheese, then whisk. Repeat the previous steps: frying in the sunflower oil, then finishing the omelet under the broiler, then turning it out on top of the red omelet.
For the black omelet, crack the eggs into the rinsed bowl and whisk in the tapenade. Fry as before, then turn out on top of the plain omelet. For the green omelet, crack the eggs into the bowl, add the parsley, and season with plenty of salt and black pepper. Fry as before, then assess which side is prettiest before turning nice-side up on top of the omelets. The crespéou can be sliced like a cake and served immediately or covered with foil and kept in the fridge once cooled.
