Crêpes can be quite versatile dish. Sour and sweet variation are endless, and this is just one of them. You can also think about it as a starting point (like with any other dish really) and add other ingredients and modify it as you wish. Some like raisins with their spinach, and their sweet taste would go lovely with ham also. Maybe some sauteed mushrooms thrown into a mix would add an interesting flavor (seriously, I can’t think about a dish that wouldn’t go well with mushrooms!).
As far as preparations goes, crêpes and spinach can be prepared day before, covered and refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble the dish. The only thing I need to warn you about is that it is really difficult to stop at one crêpe. Impossible if you ask me.
This recipe was adapted from Joy of Cooking.
Ingredients:
Main ingredients:
- 12 crêpes (recipe follows, or you can use this one)
- creamed spinach *
- 12 thin slices ham
- Mornay sauce (fancy name for white sauce with cheese)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
*For this recipe prepare spinach with smaller amount of liquid.
For the crêpes:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For Mornay sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
- pinch of pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup firmly packed grated cheese (can be Parmesan, Gruyere, Swiss, Cheddar, blue cheese OR any combination of them)
Instructions:
For Mornay sauce:
- In a medium saucepan melt butter.
- Whisk in flour, keep whisking until smooth.
- Remove saucepan from heat and, while whisking continuously, slowly add milk.
- Return pan to medium/medium low heat, bring to simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened (~2 minutes) – keep whisking all the time to prevent lumps.
- Add salt, pepper and ground nutmeg. Mix well.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- While mixing add cheese and keep cooking just until the cheese is melted.
- Taste and season if needed.
To assemble the dish:
- Prepare creamed spinach.
- Prepare crêpes*
- Prepare Monray sauce (see above).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Butter the baking dish (one that can fit ~12 rolled crêpes).
- Prepare a large plate as your working station.
- Spread ~2 tablespoons of spinach on a crêpe.
- Top it with a slice of ham.
- Roll it up.
- Follow the same instructions for the remaining crêpes.
- Place them in a baking dish, seam side down.
- Pour Monray sauce over them.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
- Bake ~20 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.
*Directions are the same for both crêpes recipes. Mix all ingredients, except butter. Melt butter, add to the batter and mix well.
Yield: ~12 crêpes
Nutritional Info: (per 1 crêpe): Cal 261, Prot 13g, Carb 16g, Fat 16g, Fiber 1.5g
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