🇮🇹 Italian · Soup
🥞 Timballo di Scrippelle
Scrippelle Mbusse
Thin Abruzzese crepes rolled around Parmigiano, then 'drowned' in hot chicken broth - a comforting dish whose Teramo dialect name literally translates to 'wet crepes.'
Scrippelle are essentially thin, savory crepes, rolled around a simple cheese filling and softened by a generous ladle of hot broth poured directly over them just before serving, a specialty most closely associated with the city of Teramo.
Ingredients
Equipment: Mixing bowl, Non-stick crepe pan or skillet
- 4 eggs
- 150 g (1 1/8 cups) 00 flour
- 250 ml (1 cup) water
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 150 g (1 3/4 cups) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1.2 L (5 cups) hot chicken broth
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Method
- Whisk the eggs, flour, water, salt, and olive oil into a smooth, thin batter, similar to a crepe batter.
- Lightly oil a non-stick pan and heat over medium heat.
- Pour a thin layer of batter into the pan, swirling to coat, and cook briefly on each side until just set, without browning.
- Repeat with the remaining batter, stacking the cooked crepes as you go.
- Sprinkle each crepe generously with grated Parmigiano and roll up into a tight cylinder.
- Slice the rolled crepes into rounds, or leave whole depending on preference, and arrange in serving bowls.
- Ladle the hot chicken broth generously over the crepes just before serving, allowing them to soften slightly.
- Finish with fresh parsley and an extra scattering of Parmigiano.
Chef Tips
- Cook the crepes very briefly on each side, just until set, without letting them brown, which keeps them tender.
- Pour the broth over the crepes only right before serving so they soften gently without becoming completely mushy.
- These crepes freeze well unfilled, making it easy to prepare a batch ahead of time.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Browning the crepes too much, which changes their intended delicate, tender texture.
- Adding the broth too far ahead of serving, causing the crepes to fall apart.
- Making the crepes too thick, losing the delicate quality that defines this dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- A good source of protein from the eggs and cheese.
Cultural Note
Scrippelle mbusse is a defining specialty of Teramo in Abruzzo, its playful dialect name reflecting the dish's essential final step of drowning the rolled crepes in hot broth.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Unfilled crepes keep refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen for 1 month.
Reheating: Reheat the broth and assemble fresh; already-assembled scrippelle do not hold well.
Serve with: Crusty bread