Buckwheat Crêpe with Smoked Trout, Sour Cream and Dill

Even in a world where so little makes sense - good food always does.

Buckwheat Crêpes with Smoked Trout, Sour Cream and Dill

Basic Buckwheat Crêpe

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup cup water
• 1/4 cup hard apple or pear cider 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 4 tablespoons melted butter or ghee, plus more for griddle

Combine eggs, milk, water and hard cider in the jar of a bar blender.  Process until smooth.  Add salt and flour and blend.  Add butter and blend just until batter is smooth and the consistency of a nice pourable cream.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.  Let stand at least 30 minutes before using.

Heat griddle over a medium low flame.  Brush with melted butter - just so shiny.  There should not be a butter puddle.  Same as pancakes - first crêpe is usually a dud - so be prepared. Pour a scant 1/4 of batter onto griddle.  Lift griddle and gentle tip and turn so that batter spreads naturally into a nice even thin circle - you are looking for something with about 1/16 inch thickness.  

There are various schools of thought when it comes to crêpes.  Some believe that they should be flipped and others say no - JAMAIS JAMAIS JAMAIS!  In the end it all depends on your mood and/or expertise.

• 1 recipe Basic Buckwheat Crêpes
• 1 pound smoked trout, skin and bones discarded
• 1 cup sour cream
• Small bunch fresh dill
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced

Prepare crêpes as above.  While still warm fill with desired amount and combination of above ingredients.

Raspberry Jam Crêpes with Powdered Sugar

Simple.  The new fancy. 

Basic Crêpe

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 4 large eggs
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted,  plus more for griddle 
• Lots of good jam
• Confectioner's sugar, for sprinkling

Combine water, milk, eggs, salt and vanilla in the jar of a bar blender.  Process until smooth.  Add flour and blend.  Add butter and blend just until batter is smooth and the consistency of a nice pourable cream.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.  Let stand at least 30 minutes before using.

Heat griddle over a medium low flame.  Brush with melted butter - just so shiny.  There should not be a butter puddle.  Same as pancakes - first crêpe is usually a dud - so be prepared. Pour a scant 1/4 of batter onto griddle.  Lift griddle and gentle tip and turn so that batter spreads naturally into a nice even thin circle - you are looking for something with about 1/16 inch thickness.  

There are various schools of thought when it comes to crêpes.  Some believe that they should be flipped and others say no - JAMAIS JAMAIS JAMAIS!  In the end it all depends on your mood and/or expertise.  Serve spread with jam and sprinkled with sugar.

Buckwheat Black Forest Crepe Cake

Buckwheat Black Forest Crepe Cake

Chocolate, cream and cherries. What is not to love!

Basic Buckwheat Crepe

• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup cup water
• 1/4 cup hard apple or pear cider 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 4 tablespoons melted butter or ghee, plus more for griddle

Combine eggs, milk, water and hard cider in the jar of a bar blender.  Process until smooth.  Add salt and flour and blend.  Add butter and blend just until batter is smooth and the consistency of a nice pourable cream.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.  Let stand at least 30 minutes before using.

Heat griddle over a medium low flame.  Brush with melted butter - just so shiny.  There should not be a butter puddle.  Same as pancakes - first crepe is usually a dud - so be prepared. Pour a scant 1/4 of batter onto griddle.  Lift griddle and gentle tip and turn so that batter spreads naturally into a nice even thin circle - you are looking for something with about 1/16 inch thickness.  

There are various schools of thought when it comes to crepes.  Some believe that they should be flipped and others say no - JAMAIS JAMAIS JAMAIS!  In the end it all depends on your mood and/or expertise.

Black Forest Crepe Cake

• 1 recipe Basic Buckwheat Crepe
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tablespoon kirsch or pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 16 ounces brandied or canned sour cherries, drained with a few tablespoons liquid reserved

Prepare crepes as above and let cool.  Combine cream, sugar and kirsch or vanilla and whisk to form soft peeks.  Starting with a crepe - create layers of crepe, cream, cherries and chocolate - stacking the layers one on top of the other to form a beautiful whimsical cake. Drizzle a bit of cherry juice here and there as you work.  Serve immediately.