In terms of versatility of uses, crepes are a wonderful thing to always have in your freezer. You can top or fill with a number of ingredients for a delicious breakfast, light lunch or dessert.
It is therefore worth doubling and tripping the recipe so as to keep some in your freezer. Store them in a large piece of foil with baking parchment between them. In this recipe, they are filled with mushrooms and topped with cream mixed with mustard and baked in the oven. Delicious with a simple salad or on their own.
Ingredients:
I love using aged Cretan Graviera cheese wherever possible (Saganaki, in sauces, eaten as is) but any strong flavour cheese will do here. Also, you can replace Frygania (this is thin crumbs of French toast used a lot to add texture and colour to baked dishes, particularly where they are finished with a sauce such as Bechamel) with Panko breadcrumbs or any other dry breadcrumbs.
For the Mushrooms
- 250g mushrooms
- 50g dried mushrooms (any kind will do)
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
For the crepes
- 100ml milk
- 100g flour
- 2 eggs
- Pinch of salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 50g of butter melted and a little more for the frying pan
- A sprig of thyme (leaves only)
For the Cheese Sauce
- 100ml double cream
- 50g grated cheese
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 1 tsp English mustard
- A tbsp frygania or panko breadcrumbs
For the Roasted Tomato Salad
- 6 medium tomatoes (approx.. 400g) washed and cut in four
- 2 garlic cloves in their skins
- 2 small sprigs of thyme
- 2 tbsp virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbps balsamic vinegar
Instructions:
For the MushroomsSoak the dried mushrooms in a bowl with 100ml of hot water for 10 minutes. Drain, squeeze and chop in small pieces, reserving the water.
Wipe the fresh mushrooms clean and chop in the size of small dice.
Bring a sautéing pan to a medium heat and add the olive oil and chopped onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes till translucent. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes, adding some or all the water used to soak the dried mushrooms. When all the liquid has been absorbed, season, add the finely chopped parsley and set aside.
For the Crepes
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Place the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add the milk, butter and eggs and beat lightly till you have a smooth batter. Add the thyme leaves and mix well.
Bring a small frying pan to a medium heat. Wipe the pan with a piece of kitchen towel dipped in some melted butter. Do this every time before adding batter to the pan. With the help of a ladle, pour some batter into the frying pan and shake it to cover the whole bottom. Cook for a couple of minutes and turn over to cook the other side. Place on a plate and continue making the rest.
When all the crepes have been cooked, spread them on a clean surface and spoon the mushroom mixture evenly on them. Roll and place in a buttered oven proof dish with the seam on their underside.
For the cheese sauce, hold the frygania and a couple of tbsp of the grated cheese to use as topping. Mix the rest of the ingredients and spoon over the crepes. Sprinkle with the frygania or breadcrumbs and bake for approx. 15 minutes or until golden brown.
For the roasted tomato salad
Place the tomatoes on a baking tray. Add the thyme sprigs, garlic, seasoning and sprinkle with some olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from the oven.
When the tomatoes have cooled, move carefully into a shallow bowl. Take the roasted garlic out of its skin and mix with the balsamic vinegar, squashing it well with a fork. Add some raw virgin olive oil and beat to incorporate. Drizzle over the tomatoes and scatter some fresh basil leaves.