Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls

Apr 29

Basil (and parsley) crepes rolled around creamy, herby Boursin with pops of briny ikura on top, these are beautiful savoury bites to serve for an elevated brunch or party appetizer, just in time to celebrate the warmer season ahead.

These may look a little ~extra~ but the recipe involves only six ingredients (plus salt and oil) and they’re actually quite easy to assemble. If you’ve ever made a crepe cake before, you’ll know the drill - the most time consuming part is frying the crepes. Then it’s a schmear of Boursin, roll her up and garnish with Ikura. That’s it in a nutshell!

Watch my video for Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls in this post for a visual guide of how they’re assembled. You’ll see for yourself that it’s not complicated at all. If you have any questions about the recipe, pop them in the comments section below. I’m always happy to help!

Eat well and be well,

Sonia

what you’ll need:

Ingredients for Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls

Boursin cheese - the simply yet tasty filling inside the crepe rolls. Use any flavour you enjoy. Make sure to bring the pucks to room temperature or give them a brief whisk to loosen to make them easily spreadable
Ikura (salmon roe) - bright orange, slightly translucent salmon eggs that give a pop of juicy briny, salty flavour when bitten into. It’s commonly referred to by the Japanese word “Ikura” because it is so commonly used in Japanese cuisine
Fresh basil and parsley - the herbs I chose to flavour the crepes and give them that incredble vibrant green colour. No food colours here! You can also use all basil or all parsley if you prefer that flavour
Eggs - room temperature
All purpose flour - for the crepe batter. If you have a kitchen scale, it is recommended to weigh flour by weight rather than by volume (cup)
Neutral oil or extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt (and black pepper if you like)

🎥 Watch video for Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls

Tips & FAQs

What is Ikura? Bright orange, slightly translucent salmon eggs that give a pop of juicy briny, salty flavour when bitten into. It’s commonly referred to by the Japanese name “Ikura” because they are so commonly used in Japanese cuisine. You can buy them at most online seafood retailers, Japanese/Korean/Chinese supermarkets and even well-stocked conventional supermarkets such as Whole Foods. They are either sold refrigerated or frozen. They’re pretty inexpensive, as far as fish roe goes!
What are good substitutions for Ikura? Other roes such as Tobiko (flying fish roe) or Trout roe work. Or proper caviar if you’re really trying to impress :) For non-roe options, garnish with pickled red onion or pomegranate seeds for a different flavour profile. But you wouldn’t get the same pop of juicy brininess of roe.
Is there a specific flavour of Boursin to use in this recipe? Any and all flavours will work. Choose the one you like best.
What kind of pan should I use to fry the crepes? I use a rectangular cast iron pan normally used for Japanese tamagoyaki. But you can definitely use a round non-stick pan. Either 6” or 8” size would work well for flipping the crepe and rolling them. Trim off the rounded ends and give them to your kids or eat them as a chef’s snack.
Mop up excess oil in the pan for frying crepes. Using a good non-stick pan, you actually need very little oil to fry crepes. Drizzle a bit of oil, then use a small wad of folded-up paper towel (held with tongs or chopsticks) to lightly mop the oil so there is just a very slight layer of oil in the pan before pouring batter in. Repeat for each crepe.
Tip for making crepes - every stove top and pan is different in terms of heat power and conduction so feel free to adjust stove setting when cooking the crepes to be able to swirl the batter into a thin, even layer on the pan and not over cook (over brown) them.
Can Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls be made ahead? Once assembled, these are best enjoyed the day of. If left too long, the crepe absorbs moisture from the Boursin filling. Fortunately, the most time-consuming step of frying the crepes can be made in advance - see point below.
Crepes can be made in advance: Fry the crepes up to 2 days in advance, cool completely, then stack with a sheet of parchment paper in between each crepe to prevent sticking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or inside ziptop bag with air pushed out. Store in the fridge until assembly.

Recipe Notes for Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls

The pan I use to fry the crepes for this recipe is a Japanese rectangular cast iron pan (used for making tamagoyaki) but you can use a round frying pan - 6” or 8” size. When rolling the crepes, overlap them, roll and trim off the rounded ends.
Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls are best enjoyed the same day they are made. If left too long (overnight), the crepes gradually absorbs moisture from the Boursin filling and softens.
Make-ahead option: You can fry the crepes up to 2 days in advance, cool completely, then stack with a sheet of parchment paper in between each crepe to prevent sticking. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or inside ziptop bag with air pushed out. Store in the fridge until assembly.

Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls

Recipe makes about 24 bite-sized pieces.

Yield: 24

Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls

Basil (and parsley) crepes rolled with creamy, herby Boursin with pops of briny ikura on top, these are beautiful savoury bites to serve for an elevated brunch or party appetizer, just in time to celebrate the warmer season ahead.

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 55 M

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

For the Boursin Basil Crepe Rolls:

Neutral oil for cooking
3 x 150g Boursin pucks, room temp or whisked briefly in bowl to loosen
2 tbsp Ikura (salmon roe)

Instructions

Blanch parsley and basil in well-salted boiling water until softened ~60 secs. Place in ice bath to stop cooking. Transfer to blender with ½ cup of ice water. Blend. Top up with enough water to 1½ cups of total liquid. Blend until smooth. Add eggs, oil, salt and flour. Blend. Strain batter through fine mesh strainer. Chill 30 mins.
Heat non-stick rectangular or round skillet on medium heat (see note 1). Brush or spray lightly with oil. Pour ¼ cup batter into the pan and quickly tilt and swirl to distribute in a thin, even layer. If batter is too thick to spread quickly, thin with tablespoons of water. Once edges begin to peel away (~2 to 3 mins), gently flip. Cook 20 secs more. Transfer to plate to cool fully. Repeat until all batter is used. The recipe should yield 10-12 crepes depending on the size of your pan.
To form the rolls, place 3 crepes in a row, slightly overlapping. Spread softened Boursin cheese in a thin layer ~2 tbsp per crepe. Roll into log. Cover and chill 30 mins. Cut each roll into six 1” pieces (trim ends as needed). Arrange cut-side up on serving plate. Garnish with ikura.

Notes

To fry the crepes, I used a Japanese rectangular cast iron pan (used for making tamagoyaki) but you can use a similarly sized round frying pan. When rolling the crepes, overlap them and trim off the rounded ends.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

Fat

3 g

Sat. Fat

0 g

Carbs

13 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

13 g

Sugar

0 g

Protein

3 g

Sodium

292 mg

Cholesterol

23 mg

Disclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and should be used as an approximation.

Similar Recipes

Cucumber Wrapped Sushi Roll

Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it went and what you think of it. Or drop a note if you have any questions. I’m happy to help!

Featured

Hi, I’m Sonia

I share recipes inspired by my food cravings and what I make for my family. My role as a working mom of two girls, my life in Toronto Canada and my background as a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong all inform the things I love, crave and create. This means an emphasis on wholesome recipes that are approachable for busy weeknights and fun recipes to make on weekends and for friends!