"You'll flip over these crêpes."

You'll flip over these crepes

by Aliza Green

Yo, Chefs!

After a visit to Beau Monde on Bainbridge Street, I was impressed with their dinner crepe, which was fashioned from buckwheat flour. (Very healthy, as it is rich in the B vitamins, as well as a different flavor than the run-ofthe-mill wheat variety.)

I also enjoyed the mushroom filling and sauce that accompanied my crepe. So all of the above would make a worthwhile request for a featured Ask the Chefs column. Thank you for considering it.

Marcy Green, Philadelphia

           

Dear Marcy,

Owner Jim Caiola and Chef David Salama have recently opened an authentic Breton creperie at the corner of 6th and Bainbridge streets. Crepes, though popular throughout France, are associated with the French province of Brittany on France's Atlantic coast, across from England. Enjoyed by Bretons since the Middle Ages, these lacy, ultra-thin pancakes are often made from buckwheat flour, the gray cereal grain that was - for a long time - the staple grain of this region.

At Beau Monde, crepes come in the category of "everything old is new again." Once chic, then considered blase, crepes have regained attention recently in their more authentic guise.

They now are closer to the Breton original than offerings from the creperies of 25 years ago. I can remember going into the Magic Pan in my earlier days looking for a restaurant job. When I inquired about a position, I was told, "Oh we don't make anything here; everything comes in frozen."

Inspired by visits to France, Chef Salama perfected his technique by apprenticeships at several creperies in the historic town of Quimper (also famous for hand-painted pottery). Go to Beau Monde and you'll be served a 16-inch round crepe made on a traditional cast-iron crepe griddle imported from Brittany. He uses a rozell - a flat wooden rake - to spread the batter evenly, and a special wooden spatula to gently flip the crepe. The wild mushroom crepes are but one version of the many offered at Beau Monde.

Wild Mushroom Crepes

with Emmenthal and French Cured Ham

Batter:

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup water

1 cup all-purpose white flour

1/3 cup buckwheat flour (available at health food stores)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butler, melted

In a large bowl, whisk together the liquid ingredients: eggs, milk, and water, Add both flours and the salt, and continue to whisk until all the ingredients are incorporated and the big lumps are gone. Add the melted butter and whisk again. Set batter aside, covered and refrigerated for at least two hours before using.

Mushrooms:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic, chopped

1 pound domestic mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced

1 pound portobello mushrooms, stems trimmed, thinly sliced

1 pound chanterelles, stems trimmed, thinly sliced (a seasonal delicacy to be found in specialty produce stores)

In a small stockpot, lightly brown the chopped garlic in the oil, making sure it does not burn. Immediately add the mushrooms and cook gently over a very low heat until the mushrooms reduce to about half their size and turn slightly brown. Remove from the heat and strain, reserving the liquid.

Mushroom Sauce:

3 shallots, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup reserved mushroom liquid

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup dry white wine

In a medium saucepan, saute shallots in butter until they are tender but not brown, then add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to very low. Continue to simmer the sauce until it has thickened enough to coat a spoon lightly. Make sure that the sauce is whisked often so the bottom of the pot doesn't scorch. Note: It may take up to two hours to reduce this sauce properly.

To Assemble: Crepe batter

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2 pound shredded Emmenthal cheese (imported f rom France or Switzerland)

Mushroom filling

1/4 pound thinly sliced French cured ham (Jambon de Paris) or other good ham

Mushroom sauce

1/4 bunch parsley, leaves chopped for garnish

Transfer batter to a large measuring cup with a pouring spout. Heat a large non-stick skillet until the surface reaches 220 degrees. (The batter should cook as soon as it hits the surface.) Pour in about two tablespoons of batter. Immediately tilt the pan and turn it so that all the batter is spread out as evenly as possible.

Note: You will probably need to experiment with the first few crepes until you get the right amount of batter for your pan. Cook the crepe about 30 seconds or until you don't see any wet surface area. Flip the crepe and cook on the second side about 15 seconds. The crepes should remain pliable but thoroughly cooked. As you cook them, lay each on a plate, separated by a sheet of of waxed paper. When ready to serve, return a crepe to the pan and lightly brush it with a little melted butter. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese, then cover with a portion of the mushroom filling and a slice of ham. Pour about one-fourth cup of the mushroom sauce over the top and fold the crepe into a square. Allow the crepe to warm in the pan until the cheese has melted and the ham is warm. Flip the crepe onto a heated dinner plate. Drizzle with a little sauce and garnish with more shredded cheese and parsley. Serves eight. Enjoy!

If you have anything You'd like to ask a local chef - the recipe for a favorite restaurant dish, the secret technique for getting a tricky sauce to turn out right, hints on how to rid your kitchen of food odors - send it to us, and we'll track down an answer.

The address:

Ask the Chefs

Philadelphia Daily News

Box 7788

Philadelphia, PA 19101

Include your name, address and phone number.

If we print your question, we'll send you a cookbook.