Asparagus Crêpes Mornay, Crêpes, Mornay
Source of Recipe
the Los Angeles Times
Recipe Introduction
In France, crêpes are typically street food, bought from vendors with carts.
These lunch-size pancakes are plump with filling and just right for eating
on the go. The batter, made with half wheat flour and half buckwheat, plus
butter, eggs and milk, is poured onto a circular griddle as wide as a
potter's wheel, some 16 inches in diameter. After the super-thin pancake
bakes, the crêpe guy flips it, adds a filling, folds it into a giant
triangle, inserts it into a paper cone and off you go. Nothing could be more
French.
Brittany, the northwest region of France, is renowned for its crêpes, but
you don't have to spend frequent-flier miles to enjoy them. They are easy to
whip together, can be made in advance and frozen and, depending on the
fillings, can be mixed or matched to your taste.
Crêpes are to the chef as a blank canvas is to the painter. Their fillings
can be as creative as the imagination allows. Savory (seasoned) crêpes pair
well with fillings such as feta cheese, roasted fresh vegetables, sauteed
mushrooms or creamy seafood. They are the perfect foil for leftover turkey
and chicken. Sweetened crêpes include fillings of fruit, ice creams and even
souffles. These delectable wrap-arounds can be hot, cold, rolled or folded.
Crêpe-making is a bit time-consuming, but you can make them days or weeks in
advance and freeze them until needed. If you remember a few tricks, you'll
have an easy time making them.
.Make the batter ahead. Allow it to rest for two hours or overnight. It
should have the consistency of heavy cream.
.Make a few test crêpes. Cooking them can be tricky, but once you get the
hang of it, it goes speedily.
.The size of a crêpe is determined by the pan in which it cooks. If you have
a French crêpe pan, by all means use it, but you can get excellent results
using a 6-or 8-inch nonstick skillet, measured across the bottom. Some cooks
like to pour batter from a pitcher, but for uniform crêpes, I like to use a
small measure -- no guessing. A 1/4 cup measure or small gravy ladle both
work.
.Before making each crêpe, quickly brush the surface of the pan with melted
butter, using a melt-proof basting brush (not a pastry brush) or crumpled
wax paper.
.Pour a measured amount of batter onto a hot pan with one hand and tilt the
pan (while pouring) in a circular motion with the other hand to coat the
bottom. Cook just until the surface of the pancake is dry.
.How to flip? You have three options. If you are courageous, pick up the
skillet, give it a couple of shakes to ascertain that the pancake is loose,
then using an elliptical motion, push-pull your arm and the crepe will flip.
A second way is to turn the crêpe with a wide spatula, but there's a danger
in tearing the delicate pancake. My favorite way, for those who don't mind a
bit of heat, is to use your gloved hands. I buy thin cotton gloves from the
pharmacist, the kind used by dermatology patients. When the crêpe is ready
to be turned, use both forefingers and thumbs to slip and flip the pancake.
.If making ahead -- up to three days in advance -- stack the crêpes, with
sheets of wax paper between them so they don't stick together. Then wrap
airtight and chill. For longer storage, freeze them.
Crêpes have a pretty side and a blah side. Always roll or fold them pretty
side out. Learn to make the basic recipe, then use your creativity to fill
and sauce them.
List of Ingredients
Recipes: Asparagus Crêpes Mornay, Crêpes, Mornay Sauce
Asparagus Crêpes Mornay
Serves 4 to 8.
8 crêpes (see recipe)
Mornay sauce (see recipe)
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cleaned and trimmed
Cooking spray
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Parsley sprigs, optional
Note: To hard-cook eggs, place them in a single layer in a saucepan. Add
enough water to come at least 1 inch above eggs. Cover and quickly bring to
just boiling. Turn off heat and let eggs stand, covered, for 15 minutes.
Immediately immerse in cold water or place them in ice water until
completely cooled. Recipe from the American Egg Board.
Prepare crêpes and Mornay sauce. Steam or cook asparagus in small amount of
boiling water just until crisp-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain. Divide
asparagus among 8 crêpes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Evenly coat a 9-by 13-inch baking pan with
spray. Set aside. Stir eggs into 1/2 cup of the Mornay sauce until combined.
Spoon about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the egg mixture evenly over asparagus on
each crêpe. Roll up crêpes. Place in prepared baking dish and pour remaining
Mornay sauce over crêpes. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Garnish with parsley if desired.
Nutrition information per 1/8 serving:
Calories 186
Carbohydrates 12 g
Protein 13 g
Fat 10 g
including sat. fat 5 g
Cholesterol 202 mg
Sodium 153 mg
Calcium 232 mg
Dietary fiber 1 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1/2 milk exch., 1/2 bread/ starch exch., 1
medium-fat meat exch., and 1 fat exch.
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Crepes
Makes 8 crêpes
2 eggs
1/3 c. skim milk
1/3 c. water
2 tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 c. flour
Melted butter, cooking oil or cooking spray
Recipe from the American Egg Board.
In mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, water and 2 tablespoons of melted butter
until well-blended. Add flour, beat until smooth.
Heat 8-to 10-inch omelet or crêpe pan over medium-high heat until just hot
enough to sizzle a drop of water. Brush pan lightly with melted butter. For
each crêpe, pour in just enough batter (about 2 tablespoons for 8-inch pan
or a scant 1/4 cup for 10-inch pan) to cover bottom of pan, tipping and
tilting pan to move batter quickly over bottom.
Cook until lightly browned on bottom and dry on top. Remove from pan or, if
desired, flip and brown other side. Brush pan lightly with melted butter as
needed to prevent sticking. Stack crêpes between layers of waxed paper until
ready to fill.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories 80
Carbohydrates 7 g
Protein 3 g
Fat 5 g
including sat. fat 2 g
Cholesterol 62 mg
Sodium 43 mg
Calcium 21 mg
Dietary fiber 0 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1/2 bread/ starch exch., and 1 fat exch.
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Recipe
Mornay Sauce
Recipe from the American Egg Board.
1 1/2 c. skim milk
3 tbsp. flour
Dash pepper
3/4 c. shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. dry vermouth, white wine or lemon juice
In covered jar or blender container, shake or blend together milk, flour and
pepper.
In medium saucepan over medium-high heat, cook, stirring constantly, until
mixture boils and is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses
until Swiss cheese is melted. Stir in vermouth.
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