Crepes Du Nord

From GREY HARE INN VINEYARD BED AND BREAKFAST

  A deliciously delicate fusion of French and Up North Michigan cuisine served regularly at the Grey Hare Inn, Vineyard B & B, that is quite often accompanied by wine poached pears as a first course and buttermilk blueberry muffins as well as baguette bread with Food for Thoughts Lavender Blueberry jam.

Ingredients

  • 1 See below

Directions

Crepes (can be made ahead and frozen, then thawed for use)

 

     1 ¼ cup al purpose flour sifted

     ½ tsp. salt

     4 eggs

     1 cup milk

     3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

     1 ¼ cups cold water

 

  In a blender or food processor blend all ingredients at high speed for 30 seconds, scrape down sides and blend 30 more seconds.

 

Pour batter into mixing bowl , cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To make 6” crepes pour a scant 1/3 cup of batter (or heavy 1/4 cup) into a hot, buttered crepe pan. Cook over medium-high heat until surface is bubbly, loosen edge with spatula,and flip crepe from one to the other pan,  cooking  until golden brown, about 30 seconds. DO not wash crepe pans, just wipe out and re-season with butter as you make crepes.

 

Stack 4 crepes each on two plates to cool while you continue cooking the remainder of batter,  then fold each set of 4 gently in cling wrap, close wrap over 4, then stack next 4 so you end up with packets of 4.

 

Take whole stack and put into ziplock bag, and onto a plate to keep flat, then freeze

 

 

 

Filling, recipe for 6 persons (2crepes per person)

 

-6 medium size (about 2”in length, 1” girth) dried morel mushrooms from Folgarelli’s

 

-12 medium size button mushrooms (Okay to substitute 2 large mini portabellos or 3 small per couple for the above amounts


-3 medium green onion, white part plus 2” of green (so one medium green onion or half a large one per couple)

 

-¾ - 1 cup cooked  7 grain wild rice mix from Oryana’s (for each couple I add about 2 rounded spatulas full, which is probably about 4 tablespoons


-6 extra large or jumbo eggs, scrambled (2 per couple). Use our chickens eggs whenever possible.

 

(Per person this equals 1 green onion, 1 dried morel reconstituted, 2 button mushrooms, 3-4 heaping tablespoons cooked rice or a little more, and 2 crepes) 

 

Reconstitute dried morels in simmering water for 15 minutes. Slice green onions and button mushrooms into ¼ wide pieces.

 

Dice morels into smaller 1/8 – 1/4” pieces. Saute onions, mushrooms over medium heat until just turning slightly brown, about 7 minutes.

 

Filling can hold at this point while you make the sauce.

 

When ready to continue, add cooked rice then scrambled eggs. Cook all over low-medium heat until eggs are cooked but still slightly runny.

 

To assemble place 1 crepe on each plate and fill with enough filling to provide a 1” tube of egg mixture across the middle of each crepe from left to right.

Then fold the crepe edge nearest you over the filling and gently turn the crepe away from you, thus rolling the filling into the crepe. 

This procedure helps to avoid too much handling of the delicate crepes.

 

    Garnish plate with 3 cooked asparagus spears if large size or 5 if small and thin (or about ½ cup of roasted roots in winter), and 2 -3slices canadian bacon depending on thickness of cut and size of meat round (you cut in half across mid section to form half slices. Then reheat entire plate for 45 seconds on microwave high to heat crepes thoroughly.  Pour ¼ cup of cream sauce over length of crepes, garnish with edible flower (violets or nasturtium) thyme sprig from garden, or two chive sprigs; and in all cases an orange slice twist and serve. 

 

 

Herbes de Provence cream sauce

 

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pan then add 1 ½ tablespoons flour, whisk together then cook over low heat until bubbly and the mixture begins to brown just slightly (this removes flour taste).

 

Continue to whisk while gradually adding 1 ¼ - cup half and half cream.

 

Add 1/2 tsp Herbes de Provence to heat over low until sauce thickens and reduces slightly. Add small amounts of additional cream as you continue to cook for 10 minutes to retain desired sauce consistency, then turn heat to simmer and cover until used (can be held up to 30 minutes)

 

Re-whisk prior to pouring over crepes and add cream as necessary. Reduce proportionately for smaller numbers of guests.

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