Crespelle

Crespelle (crepes) are delicate, nourishing, and surprisingly easy to make. In parts of Italy, especially in Abruzzo and Molise, they sometimes take the place of pasta in dishes such as cannelloni and lasagne. They keep beautifully in the refrigerator or freezer and so can conveniently be made in advance. I use goat’s milk in my recipe because I like the subtle earthy flavor that it imparts to the crespelle. Of course, good quality cow’s milk works just as well.

Portions: Makes 24 crepes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups 200 g unbleached all purpose plain flour, sifted
• 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups 480 ml goat’s milk or whole cow’s milk
• 1/4 cup 7 g minced fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
• Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, or as needed

Preparation:

Put the flour in a large bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, parsley, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the flour, whisking all the while to prevent lumps from forming. When the batter is
smooth, cover the bowl with plastic wrap/cling film and let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Melt a little of the butter in a 9-in/23-cm nonstick frying pan (I use a well-seasoned cast-iron frying pan) placed over medium heat, tilting the pan to cover the bottom with a thin film. When the pan is hot, pour in a small ladleful of batter (about ¼
cup/60 ml) and gently but quickly swirl it around so that it completely coats the bottom of the pan, forming a thin pancake. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds, or until just set. Flip the pancake and cook for 20 to 30 seconds longer, then transfer it to a plate. Continue making crepes until you have used all the batter, making sure to grease the pan lightly from time to time with a thin film of butter. You should end up with 24 crepes.

Simplify:

If you are not using the crespelle immediately, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 1 month.