Author Notes
This crêpe is the love child of some very Spanish ingredients (chickpeas awash in garlic and good olive oil, Serrano ham), and other things that taste good (poached eggs, Pecorino cheese). Yum. —Cristina Sciarra
Ingredients
- Crêpes Salées (these measurements come from David Lebovitz’s recipe for Buckwheat Crêpes, and the recipe yields about 20 crêpes)
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2 cups milk
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1 tablespoon sugar
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¼ teaspoon sea salt
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3 tablespoons melted, plus more for cooking
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½ cup buckwheat flour
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¾ cup white flour
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3 eggs
- Crêpe Filling
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2 potatoes
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good quality olive oil, divided
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sea salt, freshly ground black pepper
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a spoonful of Dijon mustard
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the juice of ½ a lemon
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3 cloves of garlic, minced
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1 14-ounce can of chickpeas
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4 eggs, as fresh as possible
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4 handfuls of arugula
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Pecorino cheese, grated on a microplane
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about 8 slices of Serrano ham
Directions
- Crêpes Salées (these measurements come from David Lebovitz’s recipe for Buckwheat Crêpes, and the recipe yields about 20 crêpes)
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In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. If you are letting it rest overnight, cover the bowl and move it to the refrigerator. (Bring it to room temperature before you start cooking.) If it will only sit for 2 hours or so, cover it and keep it at room temperature.
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When you are ready to make the crêpes, locate your widest, flattest non-stick pan. Using a paper towel, rub a thin sheen of butter all over the pan, and then set it over medium heat. (You can repeat this for every new crêpe, but it usually isn’t necessary.)
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When the pan is hot, use a ladle to quickly drop a measure of the batter into the pan. Turn the pan in a wide circle, as quickly as you can, so that the batter distributes evenly and rapidly. You want as thin a pancake as possible. Don’t worry if the first one is a disaster; it’s part of the process. Save the disasters for yourself. You will get better with each crêpe.
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As the crêpes cook, pile them on a plate; you want to cook all of your crêpes before you start filling them.
- Crêpe Filling
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Make the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425F. Peel and dice both potatoes, cutting them into bite-sized pieces. Toss the potatoes generously with olive oil, salt and pepper, and then move them to a parchment paper-covered baking sheet. Bake them for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown. Set aside.
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Make the salad dressing: Spoon the mustard into a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, and some salt and pepper. Mix this together before adding a few tablespoons of olive oil. Give it a taste. Does it need more freshly ground black pepper? It probably does. Add more, and then set the bowl aside.
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Prepare the chickpeas: Heat a healthy measure of olive oil in a non-stick pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the garlic. Allow it to simmer until it is fragrant. Add the chickpeas, and stir them gently, until they are swathed in olive oil. Cook just long enough to heat them through.
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Poach your eggs: For the industrious researcher, the internet is rife with tricks and tips on how best to poach an egg. This is what works for me: Heat a wide, deep pan with water until it is just barely simmering.
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Meanwhile, crack your eggs into individual cups, and add a splash of vinegar to each one. Let each egg sit for a few minutes in the vinegar, while the water is heating
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When you are ready to poach, use the back of a spoon to make a little whirlpool in the water; drop an egg into the middle. You can use the spoon the nudge the egg whites nearer to the yolk. I am a wimp, so I poach my eggs one at a time.
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Let each egg poach for a few minutes, and then remove them from the water with a spatula. You can poach your eggs a few hours ahead of time, and gently reheat them just before service. It is also advisable to use the freshest eggs you can find.
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Prepare the salad: Move the arugula to a large bowl. Top the lettuce with as much Pecorino as you feel like grating. Next, add the potatoes, and then the dressing, and toss until everything is covered.
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Prepare the crêpe: Place a buckwheat crêpe in a non-stick pan. Layer: a slice or two of Serrano ham, the chickpeas, the salad and a poached egg. Repeat, and serve immediately.
Cristina is a writer, cook, and day job real estate developer. She studied literature, holds an MFA in Fiction Writing, and completed the Basic Cuisine course at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She lives in Jersey City with her husband--a Frenchman she met in Spain--and their sweet black cat, Minou. Follow her writings, recipes, publications and photography at theroamingkitchen.com.
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