SMOKED SALMON AND RICOTTA CREPES
A simple yet tasty first course made with smoked salmon and ricotta, perfect both for everyday meals and special occasions.
The Smoked Salmon Crepes are prepared in a few easy steps and hide a rich but delicate filling that will please even the most demanding palates.
The recipe is very straightforward and contains no tricky steps. You only need a few basic ingredients such as flour, eggs and milk plus the filling which, once the batter is ready, you can adapt to your tastes or to what you already have in the pantry.
There are several versions of this recipe; most include béchamel in the filling. In today’s recipe I preferred to use only fresh cow’s ricotta, to which I simply added a little milk to make it creamier so as not to overpower the salmon flavor.
Alternatively, you can enrich the filling with another fresh cheese such as robiola, or add a few tablespoons of béchamel. For an even creamier, velvety version, arrange the filled crepes in a baking dish, sprinkle with béchamel and grated cheese and put them under the oven grill.
One advantage of this salmon and ricotta crepes recipe is that you can prepare the bases (the crepes) the day before and fill them just before serving so you won’t be rushed at dinnertime and can fully enjoy the evening.
Once you become familiar with the basic batter you will be able to make very thin, light crepes with a neutral flavor that can be used for many sweet and savory combinations.
Whichever filling you choose, you will bring to the table with little effort a dish that is not only delicious but will make a great impression — everyone will think you worked for a whole day.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
- Energy 572.05 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 54.72 (g) of which sugars 10.70 (g)
- Proteins 38.57 (g)
- Fat 23.40 (g) of which saturated 13.37 (g)of which unsaturated 9.58 (g)
- Fibers 1.51 (g)
- Sodium 1,298.33 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 200 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs eggs (about 3 at room temperature)
- 2 1/8 cups whole milk (at room temperature (≈500 ml))
- as needed butter (to grease the pan)
- 1 cup fresh cow's ricotta
- 7 oz smoked salmon
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- black pepper (a pinch)
- as needed salt
Tools
- Bowl
- Hand whisk
- Crepe pan
Steps
Because the batter needs a short resting time before cooking, first prepare the crepe batter. Break the eggs into a bowl, beat them quickly with a fork, add the milk at room temperature and mix thoroughly to combine everything.
Add the sifted flour to the mixture little by little, always stirring, until you obtain a velvety, smooth batter without lumps. If you still see some lumps, pass the batter through a fine sieve. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Cut the smoked salmon into thin strips, put it in a bowl and add the ricotta. Mix with a fork and add 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, 1/3 cup of milk, the chopped fresh parsley, a pinch of pepper and salt if needed. Combine until you get a smooth, creamy mixture. The amount of milk depends on how watery the ricotta is, adjust accordingly.
Take the batter out of the fridge and stir with a spoon to loosen it. Heat a nonstick pan over the stove, then grease the surface with a little butter. Wipe off any excess fat with a paper towel. Pour a ladle of batter and rotate the pan to spread it evenly, cook for about 2 minutes then flip and cook the other side. Before flipping, make sure the base is nicely golden. Continue the same way with the remaining batter.
As soon as all the crepes are ready, stack them on a plate and cover with a clean dry cloth. Now you can fill the crepes. Place them on a cutting board or work surface, spread two generous spoonfuls of filling over half of each crepe, fold over the unfilled side, then fold in half again to form a fan. Continue until all ingredients are used. The smoked salmon crepes are ready to serve.
STORAGE
The smoked salmon and ricotta crepes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one day in an airtight container. I do not recommend freezing the fully assembled dish, but you can store unfilled crepes in the fridge for a couple of days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
NOTES
You can add finely chopped fresh herbs such as thyme or marjoram to the crepe batter to make it more fragrant.
To obtain a smooth lump-free batter, I recommend using ingredients at room temperature and adding the milk gradually while stirring thoroughly.
If you notice that the ricotta used for the filling releases a lot of whey, drain it in a fine sieve.
To make this recipe even more indulgent, once filled you can arrange the crepes in a baking dish, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of béchamel and grated cheese and bake at 392°F with the grill on until the surface is lightly browned.
