Cooking With Rania: Ham And Cheese Crepes
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Rania Harris is getting ready for Easter with this two-part series!
Ham and Cheese Crepes
Ingredients --
Crepe Batter:
-- 1 cup all purpose flour
-- 1 tablespoon sugar
-- 1 ½ cups milk
-- 3 eggs
Melted unsalted butter for making the crepes
Crepe Filling:
-- 2 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
-- 1 small onion ~ coarsely chopped
-- 2 cloves of garlic ~ minced
-- 1 – 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach ~ defrosted and squeezed dry
-- 10 ounces whole milk ricotta (about 1 ¼ cups)
-- 8 ounces Gruyere cheese ~ grated
-- Pinch of nutmeg
-- 12 slices baked ham (6 – 7 inch rounds)
-- Velouté Sauce – See attached recipe
Directions --
For the Crepes:
In a medium mixing bowl or in the jar of a blender, combine the flour and sugar. Add the milk, and eggs and mix well. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour.
For the Filling:
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; add spinach, ricotta, grated Gruyère, and nutmeg as well as salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat a nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium-high heat and brush the pan with a small amount of melted butter. Remove the batter from the refrigerator. Coat the pan with about ¼ cup of batter, cook until the edges start to brown, then flip the crepe. Cook for 10 more seconds and remove from the pan. Keep warm while cooking the remaining crepes. You should yield 12 crepes.
To Assemble:
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease two 13-by-9-inch baking dishes. Working one at a time, place one ham slice on a crepe; spoon 3 tablespoons filling over ham, then fold into a crepe roll. Place in prepared baking pan, seam side down; cover with foil. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. Pass Velouté Sauce separately to spoon over crepes as desired. Serve immediately.
Serves: 6 servings
Velouté Sauce
Ingredients --
-- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
-- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
-- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
-- 1 ¼ cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
-- Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat 5 tablespoons butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and broth, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer gently, whisking frequently, until Velouté sauce is silky and thickened. Serve hot separately with crepes.
