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Arts Li Life

Food

Crepes You Can Do

Those wonderfully delicious pancakes are not as hard as they sound.

ANNABEL COHEN

R

Special to the Jewish News

Remove the pitcher from the machine,
cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30
minutes or more.
Heat a small (7- or 8-inch) or medi-
um (10-inch) nonstick skillet over medi-
um-high heat. Use a pastry brush to
brush the skillet with oil or butter.
When the skillet is hot, pour about 1/3
cup of batter into the center of the skil-
let. Immediately lift the skillet from the
heat and turn or rotate it so the batter
spreads into a thin layer around the skil-
let (it's okay if the batter goes a little up
the slanted side of the skillet). Quickly
pour any excess batter from the skillet
back into the pitcher of the blender (the
crepe must be thin).
Cook the crepe until it is lightly col-
ored on the bottom, and the top of the
crepe (the uncooked side) no longer
looks wet, about 1 minute. Gently lift
the crepe with a spatula and turn it over
to the other side, about 30 seconds.
Transfer the cooked crepe to a plate
repeat with remaining batter (you may
not need to add more oil or butter to
the skillet each time). Stack the cooked
crepes one on top of the other (they
must be cooked through or they will
stick together).
When finished, allow to cool before
using immediately or covering with plas-
tic wrap and chill up to two days before
using. Makes 8-12 crepes, depending on
the size of your skillet.

Repeat after me: crepe (say
"crehp").
Crepes (the "s" is silent
when pronounced correctly) are among
the simplest and most elegant of foods
to prepare. Why then do people look
very uncomfortable just thinking about
makino b them?
Like many thing you've never tried
before, making crepes take a little prac-
rice. The trick is batter — crepe barter is
pretty thin, like heavy whipping cream.
Use a "good" nonstick skillet (the old
one with half the coating scraped away
won't do). Brush the skillet with melted
butter or oil (very thin coating) and heat
the pan.
The pan must be hot before you pour
the batter into it., because the crepe must
begin cooking the moment it hits the
pan.
Next, raise the pan from the stove and
tilt it — or swirl it — it to distribute the
batter. Then, pour any batter that does-
n't stick to the pan (any "pools"), back
into the batter container. This will
ensure that the crepe remains thin.
Cook the crepe until its set or dry on
top (no shiny wet spots). Then the crepe
is done. Just flip it onto a clean plate.
As with every pancake, always make a
test crepe. If the batter is too watery or
thin, add a bit more flour (sometimes a
teaspoon is enough). If it's too thick, add CREAMY CHICKEN FILLING
more liquid (drop by drop).
Dressy, yet easy to prepare, this nondairy
version is very similar to chicken divan,
Once you master this easy method (it
only takes minutes), you'll never buy
except traditional divan contains some
crepes again.
cream and is sprinkled with grated
parmesan cheese. This version is lighter.
BASIC CREPES
1 recipe basic crepes, above
If you want your crepes dessert-sweet,
4 cups broccoli florets (or other veg-
use milk and add 2 tablespoons of sugar.
etable such asparagus, mushrooms,
Experiment with these crepes by adding
peas, spinach), steamed or microwaved
fresh chopped herbs to the batter. For
until just cooked (do not overcook)
example, chopped dill or mint would be
4 Tbsp. olive oil or margarine
perfect for a fish filling.
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup flour
6 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups chicken broth
2 large eggs
1/2 cup nondairy creamer, optional
1 1/4 cups milk (or nondairy creamer
1 cup white wine or sherry, any type
or low-sodium chicken broth)
salt and white pepper to taste
Olive oil (not extra-virgin) or melted
4 chicken breasts, steamed or boiled,
butter
Combine all crepe ingredients in a
cut into 1/2-inch cubes
blender until smooth, about 1 minute.
fresh chopped broccoli or chives, gar-

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2005

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nish
Prepare crepes as
directed above.
Heat the olive oil
or margarine and
onions in a large
saucepan over medium
heat. Cook the onions
for about 5 minutes, stir-
ring frequently, until soft-
ened. Add the flour and whisk
the mixture for about 2 minutes
more.
Slowly whisk in the broth and bring
the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a
simmer and stir in the creamer (if
using), wine or sherry and cook for 5
minutes more. Season the sauce to taste
with salt and white pepper.
Preheat oven to 350E Pour half the
sauce into a medium baking dish and
spread to coat the bottom. Set aside.
Place one crepe on a clean surface.
Spoon one-eighth of the chicken in the
center of the crepe, top with a few broc-
coli florets and a tablespoon of the
remaining sauce. Fold one side of the
crepe over the filling. Fold in the sides
and roll the crepe to enclose the filling.
Place the crepe, seam side down, in
the prepared baking dish.
Repeat with remaining crepes, chick-
en, broccoli and sauce (if your crepes are
small, your filled crepes will be smaller).
If there is any remaining sauce, drizzle it
over the crepes. Bake the crepes, uncov-
ered, for about 15-20 minutes until hot
and bubbly. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

CREPES WITH SALMON AND
PIQUANT TOMATO SAUCE
Elegant as a dinner entree or as a buffet
choice. If serving with other buffet
items, this recipe for eight will serve 12-
16.
2 recipes basic crepes, above
Sauce:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes in juice
2 yellow bell peppers, chopped
1/2 cup red wine, any kind
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
kosher salt and pepper to taste
16 square portions (about 2 1/2 oz.
each) salmon fillet
kosher salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for brushing on crepes

24 kalamata olives
2 Tbsp. drained capers
1 cup shredded or fresh grated parme-
san cheese
Prepare crepes as directed above.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over
medium-high heat. Add the onions and
garlic and cook, stirring often, for 5
minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingre-
dients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat
to simmer and cook for 30 minutes
more. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Keep warm.
Preheat oven to 350E Brush olive oil
over the bottom of a baking sheet with
sides. Set aside. Place one crepe on a
clean surface, place a salmon portion in
the center. and season lightly with salt
and pepper.
Wrap the salmon into a square pack-
age (folding over all sides) and place the
package on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining salmon.
Brush the crepes with olive oil and
bake, uncovered, for 15-18 minutes
until the crepes are golden (the salmon
will be cooked through inside).
To serve, place the salmon portions (2
per serving) on dinner-sized plates and
spoon the sauce over. Arrange the olives
over and sprinkle with the capers.
Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.
Makes 8 servings.

QUICK MUSHROOM FILLING
Use alone, as a filling or as a topping for
cheese-filled crepes or the chicken
crepes, above. Or, line shallow soup
bowls with room-temperature crepes,
top the crepes with a spoonful of mush-
room filling and ladle hot chicken broth
into the bowl for a spectacular soup
presentation.
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter or olive oil
2 cups chopped onions

CREPES on page 60

