Crepes With Rosemary Seared Pears And Spreadable Swiss Cheese Food

JACQUES TORRES'S CREPES WITH CARAMELIZED PEARS

Steps:

• Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using a whisk attachment, mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Using a paring knife, slice the vanilla bean in half. Add the vanilla seeds, flour, citrus zests, and half of the milk and mix on medium speed until well incorporated. Add remaining milk and cream, continue to mix until the crepe batter is smooth and homogenous. If the batter is lumpy, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Grease an 8-inch nonstick crepe pan (a nonstick frying pan will also work) with about 1 teaspoon of the butter and place over medium-high heat. Once it is hot, wipe away any excess butter with a paper towel. Then pour a small amount of crepe batter, about 2 tablespoons, into the pan and tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly. The batter should barely cover the bottom of the pan. Cook until it browns around the edges, about 30 seconds. Use a large spatula or pancake turner to gently flip the crepe and cook for another 30 seconds. Adjust the level of heat as needed. The crepe should be thin, light, and unevenly browned. Slide the crepe onto a plate and continue to make crepes until all of the batter is used. If the crepes begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, butter the pan again.
• Crepes may be stacked directly on top of each other and stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days, well-wrapped. Cold crepes may stick together; warm the crepes slightly in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds on high power, or in a moderate oven to separate easily.

ROSEMARY CREPES FILLED WITH FOUR CHEESES (BORLENGHI AI QUATTRO F

Steps:

• For the crepes, place the water, milk, eggs, flour, salt, 1/4 cup butter, and the rosemary in a blender or food processor and blend well. Cover and refrigerate several hours. Thin the batter with water if necessary; it should be the consistency of very heavy cream.
• Heat a crepe pan over medium-high heat. Brush the pan with melted butter and let it warm about a minute. Add a scant 1/4 cup batter and swirl it around in the hot pan. The crepe should be thin and set up almost immediately. Cook 1 minute, then flip it over either by turning it with your fingers or by flipping it into a second warm pan of slightly larger dimension. Cook the second side a moment, then turn the crepe out onto a towel. Brush the pan lightly with butter and make another crepe. As the crepes cool, you may stack them. There should be enough batter for 18 crepes. They can be held at room temperature for several hours before filling them; do not refrigerate.
• Combine Fontina, mozzarella, Gruyere, ricotta, and pepper. Spoon about 3 tablespoons filling in the center of each crepe and roll up, tucking in the sides. Place on baking sheets lined with baker's parchment. These can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days. If you think of it, let the crepes warm to room temperature before baking. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Warm the bechamel and tomato sauces.
• Butter 2 large baking dishes or individual gratin dishes. Spoon a layer of tomato sauce in the large dishes or about 3 tablespoons in each gratin dish. Place the filled crepes in rows in the large dishes or place 3 in each gratin dish. Spread the crepes with a layer of bechamel, then drizzle with a little more tomato sauce. Bake covered until hot, about 7 minutes. If the tops dry out, spoon a little more warm sauce over the crepes before serving. Sprinkle Parmesan if using. Serve at once.

SEAFOOD CREPES

Steps:

• In medium bowl, beat all crepe ingredients with wire whisk or hand beater until smooth. For each crepe, lightly butter 7- or 8-inch skillet; heat over medium heat until bubbly. Pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter into skillet; rotate skillet until batter covers bottom. Cook until light brown; turn and cook other side until light brown. Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each. Keep crepes covered to prevent them from drying out.
• In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of the onions in butter, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender. Stir in shrimp, crabmeat, half-and-half and cream cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted.
• Spoon about 1/4 cup seafood mixture down center of each crepe; roll up. Place in 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Sprinkle with Swiss cheese.
• Microwave uncovered on High 4 to 6 minutes or until cheese is melted and crepes are heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons onions.

SIMPLE CREPES

Steps:

• In a blender, puree flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter until smooth, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 1 day; stir for a few seconds before using.
• Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Lightly coat with butter. Quickly pour 1/4 cup batter into center of skillet, tilting and swirling pan until batter evenly coats bottom. Cook until crepe is golden in places on bottom and edges begin to lift from pan, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Lift one edge of crepe with an offset spatula, then use your fingers to gently flip crepe. Cook on second side until just set and golden in places on bottom, about 45 seconds. Slide crepe onto a paper towel-lined plate.
• Repeat with remaining batter, coating pan with more butter as needed, and stacking crepes directly on top of one another. Let cool to room temperature before using, wrapping in plastic wrap and refrigerating up to 5 days, or freezing up to 1 month.

CREPES WITH BROWN SUGAR PEARS AND FUDGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine milk, flour, eggs, sugar and salt in blender. Blend until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides of blender, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and blend 30 seconds. Cover and refrigerate crepe batter in blender container at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Reblend batter 15 seconds.
• Heat nonstick skillet with 8-inch-diameter bottom over medium-high heat. Brush with melted butter. Pour 1/4 cup batter into skillet, tilting skillet quickly to coat bottom evenly. Cook until top of crepe appears dry and bottom is golden, loosening edges of crepe with spatula, about 45 seconds. Turn crepe over; cook until brown spots appear on bottom, about 30 seconds. Transfer to plate. Top with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with more butter as needed, layering cooked crepes between sheets of plastic wrap. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic; chill.)
• Preheat broiler. Brush baking sheet with melted butter. Place 1 crepe on prepared baking sheet. Place 3 slices of warm Brown Sugar Pears side by side on one quarter of crepe, allowing pear slices to extend slightly over edge of crepe. Fold crepe in half over pear slices. Place 3 more pear slices on crepe above first 3 slices. Fold crepe in half over pears, forming triangular shape. Repeat with 5 crepes and pear slices. Brush crepes with some of cooking liquid from pears.
• Broil crepes just until heated through and golden, watching closely to avoid burning, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to plates. Arrange any remaining pear slices atop crepes. Spoon pear cooking liquid over. Place scoop of ice cream alongside. Drizzle with warm Fudge Sauce. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

BROILED PEAR AND SWISS CHEESE SANDWICH

Steps:

• Toast bread.
• Place a cheese slice on each piece of toast.
• Arrange sliced pears on cheese.
• Mix sugar and cinnamon.
• Sprinkle on pears.
• Broil 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Serve hot.