Cooking with Patty, my personal collection of Italian recipes

Crepes are a fabulous invention of mankind, a thin egg wrap filled with everything you can imagine. It’s one of the most versatile dishes ever. When I think about crepes though, I only think about this recipe and it has no rivals. It’s rich, it’s creamy and so flavorful that at the first bite I find myself in an other dimension. It takes a little bit of effort to prepare but in the end your labors will be well paid.

Ingredients:

For the crepes:
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/8 cups unbleached all purpose flour
a pinch of Kosher salt

This dose makes about 18 crepes. The number varies depending on the pan you’re using to prepare them. I intentionally increased the batter. It’s better to have too many crepes rather than too  much filling.

For the béchamel sauce:
2 cups whole milk
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter for greasing the pan
7 Tbsp. unbleached all purpose flour

For the filling:
5 oz. non smoked ham*
5 oz. Italian mozzarella**
2 egg yolks
3/4 grated Parmesan cheese + 2 Tbsp. for topping

Instructions:

For the crepes:

1. Mix the eggs and flour in a large bowl with a wire whisk, when well combined add the milk.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrapper and let the batter stand in the refrigerator for one hour.
3. Grease a 6 inch. nonstick pan with a small dot of butter.
4. Heat the pan and then add about 3 Tbsp. of batter. Spread it thinly and cook on both sides. It shouldn’t take longer than 30 seconds per crepe.
5. Stack them up on a plate and they are ready to be filled.
6. Crepes can be prepared one day ahead, covered with plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator until you use them.

For the béchamel sauce:

1. Start by warming the milk.
2. In another pan melt the butter then add and blend the flour for about 2- 3 minutes mixing constantly with a wooden spoon. Use a low heat.
3. Once the butter and flour are blended add the milk a little at a time. Mix continuously with a wooden spoon. Be certain to avoid lumping!
4. When you’ve mixed in all the milk grate a bit of nutmeg on top, just a dusting. Add a pinch of salt too.
5. Continue cooking the Béchamel, stirring constantly, until it thickens and becomes smooth, about 15 minutes.

For the filling:

1. Cut the ham and mozzarella in small cubes. If you can not find the Italian mozzarella buy your regular one (the brick) and grate it.
2. When the béchamel sauce is ready add the 2 egg yolks, 3/4 cup Parmesan, the ham and the mozzarella combine the ingredients well with a wooden spoon.
3. Spread the filling generously on the crepes, don’t go too close to the border. Fold the horizontal sides of the crepes then roll it until folded and set in a greased cookie sheet.
4. Dot the crepes with butter and top with about 2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Let them cool for few minutes and serve.

Notes:

* non smoked ham is prosciutto cotto in Italian and doesn’t have to be confused with “prosciutto” which is often used to identify cured ham (prosciutto crudo in Italian). If you don’t find non smoked ham, you can use yours but choose the ham that has the lighter smoked taste otherwise it will compromise the taste of the recipe itself.

** Italian mozzarella has a unique taste that can not be replicate abroad due to its local ingredients and technique. If you don’t find Italian mozzarella in your store, don’t buy some expensive imitation but use your regular mozzarella in the block, just grate it instead of cutting it in cubes.

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