Issue date: March 28, 1999
Retro-food
update: Crepes are cool again
Here
are two up-to-date, easy-to-fix variations of those hip little filled
pancakes.
By Michele Hatty
In this article:
 Recipe:
Strawberry and blueberry desert crapes with rasberry sauce.
Recipe:
Chicken, corn and red pepper savory crepes.
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Time savers for
a dinner party
The night before:
- Stir up the crepe batter
and refrigerate.
- Better still, cook the pancakes ahead and refrigerate.
- Prepare some or all of the filling and refrigerate. For
example, poach the chicken or make the seedless
raspberry sauce.
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s America jumps on the "everything old is new again" bandwagon,
an updated old French favorite - the crepe - is popping up
all over the place.
Creperies such as San Francisco's Squat & Gobble, Cafe
Zola in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the new Palacinka in New York
are showcasing these ultrathin pancakes as great wrappers
for everything from portobello mushrooms and scrambled eggs
to ice cream and peaches.
Eating crepes is a breeze. But actually making them can
intimidate the uninitiated. Never fear: Lou Siebert Pappas,
author of Crêpes: Sweet and Savory Recipes for the
Home Cook (Chronicle, $14.95), shares her tips for making
the perfect crepe.
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First:
the pancakes
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Dessert
Crepes
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tb. rum, Cointreau, amaretto or other liqueur (optional)
3 Tbs. butter, melted (reserve 1 Tb. for coating the pan)
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Savory
Crepes
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. butter, melted (reserve 1 Tb. for coating the pan)
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In a blender or food processor, blend all ingredients except 1 Tb.
butter until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or
overnight.
Gently stir the batter if it has separated. Heat a 6- or 7-inch
non-stick crepe or omelet pan over medium-high heat until hot. Coat
the pan lightly with a bit of reserved butter, lift the pan from
the heat and pour in 2-3 Tbs. of batter, tilting and rotating the
pan to coat.
Cook until almost dry on top and lightly browned on the edges,
about 1 minute. Loosen edges with a metal spatula and flip the crepe
over; cook this side for 15 seconds. Turn the crepe out onto a clean
towel to cool.
Repeat, coating the pan with butter as needed and stacking the
cooked crepes.
If serving immediately, cover with aluminum foil and put in a
200-degree oven. If serving later, wrap in plastic wrap and put
in a zipper-lock bag. Refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze up to 2 months.
Each recipe makes 16-18 crepes, 6 or 7 inches in diameter. This
is more than enough for the fillings below, but it allows for mistakes
- and leftovers.
Add the fillings
(let's start with dessert)
Strawberry
and Blueberry Dessert Crepes With Raspberry Sauce
Eight 6- or 7-inch dessert crepes
1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 tsps. sugar, divided
1 tsp. framboise (raspberry liqueur), if desired
2 cups mixed fresh blueberries and sliced strawberries
1 pint vanilla ice cream or vanilla-and-raspberry frozen yogurt
In a medium bowl, toss the blueberries and strawberries with 1
tsp. sugar.
Purée raspberries in a blender or food processor. Push
purée through a sieve; discard seeds. Add 1 tsp. sugar and
stir in the optional framboise. Spoon a pool of sauce on
each of 4 dessert plates.
Place a crepe on an empty plate; spoon berries and ice cream in
the center. Fold over 2 sides. Repeat. Place 2 filled crepes on
each sauced plate and serve at once. Makes 8 crepes. Serves 4.
Chicken,
Corn and
Red Pepper Savory Crepes
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Eight 6- or 7-inch
savory crepes
1/2 medium onion, quartered
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups frozen white or yellow corn, thawed
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1 green onion, chopped
1 egg
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Jarlsberg or Monterey Jack cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese |
Place 12 inch of water in a large skillet. Add onion, salt
and ginger; bring to a simmer. Add chicken; poach until opaque,
10-15 minutes. Remove chicken from liquid, cool and dice.
Discard liquid.
In a large skillet, heat 1 Tb. oil over medium heat and
sauté the corn, peppers and green onion 3 minutes or
until soft. In a medium bowl, whisk egg and mix in the ricotta,
shredded Jarlsberg or Monterey Jack, garlic, sage, salt, pepper,
chicken and vegetables.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon 12 cup filling onto the
center of a crepe and fold like an envelope. Repeat. Arrange
crepes in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish, brush tops with
the remaining oil, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake
15 minutes or until heated through. Serve at once. Makes
8 crepes. Serves 4.
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PHOTO CREDIT: Brian Leatart for USA Weekend
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