Crépes and Crespelle

Lafayette, IN may not be the most exciting place, but there are some really good restaurants around. Bluefin Bistro in downtown Lafayette is one of our favorite places for lunch when we want to take a long(ish) lunch break. There’s only one vegetarian item on their menu, the mushroom and spinach crépes. I’m not complaining at all because I’d probably order the same thing every time even if they had other options. It is that good!! They top the crépes with a balsamic drizzle which gives it tanginess in every bite. I’ve made these at home a couple times, modifying the crépe batter every time, and I feel like I’ve gotten much better at making crépes :-). So this weekend I decided to try out another modification – crespelle. It is an Italian variant of crepes, in which crepes are used instead of pasta noodles to make Italian dishes like lasagna, cannelloni, manicotti etc. 

Ingredients:

Crépe filling

2 medium zucchinis, chopped

8 oz mushrooms, chopped

1 onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp orange juice (or water)

1 cup gouda cheese (optional)

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

(Other vegetables like broccoli, spinach, carrots, corn etc. can also be used in the filling)

Béchamel sauce

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp whole wheat flour (or all purpose flour)

3 cups milk

ground nutmeg

salt and pepper

Whole wheat crépes (makes 8-10 crepes)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp melted butter

1.5 cups milk

2 eggs

salt to taste

Crépe filling: Heat oil and add the sliced onions and garlic. Sauté until onions are caramelized. Add zucchini and mushrooms. Season with salt and cook uncovered until all the moisture is evaporated. Deglaze the pan with orange juice.

Béchamel sauce: Melt butter on medium heat. Add flour and keep stirring for a couple minutes. Add hot milk slowly to avoid forming lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch of nutmeg. Keep stirring frequently until the sauce thickens. If lumps are formed, use a whisk to dissolve them.

Crépes: Mix all the ingredients. Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat. Take the pan off the heat and pour about a quarter cup of the batter into the pan. Give the pan a quick swirl to coat it evenly with the batter. Return pan back to the stove and cook until the crépe is golden brown on the bottom. Flip it over and cook until golden brown on the other side.

Assemble the crépes by spreading a couple spoonfuls of the filling on half of the crépe. Drizzle with cheese.

Fold it in half and then again in half. Drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar and serve. (To make balsamic drizzle, heat balsamic vinegar over medium heat until it boils, turn down heat and let it cook for a couple minutes).

Crespelle (recipe source: http://www.manusmenu.com): Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the bottom of an oven proof dish with béchamel sauce. Arrange the folded crépes in the pan.
 

 

Pour the remaining béchamel sauce over the crépes. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top (optional). Bake for 20 minutes and broil on high for a minute or so until the top is golden brown.

~Gayatri