Today I present to you a rich and exquisite recipe, which can be considered a meat main course, smiles stuffed with meat and pea sauce (we can also prepare them with Sunday lunch leftovers). They are delicious, tasty, easy, and, moreover, we can make both the crepes and the béchamel gluten-free and lactose-free. The “shell” of the “smiles” is made of egg-free crepes, so as not to weigh down the dish too much. Smiles with meat and pea sauce can become a valid alternative for Sunday lunch or a dinner with friends.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 9 oz ground meat (mixed beef and pork)
- 1/4 finely chopped onion
- 1/2 chopped carrot
- to taste celery stalk cut into pieces
- 1 tbsp dry white wine
- to taste fine salt
- 4.5 oz cooked peas
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- to taste chili pepper (optional)
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup remilled durum wheat semolina
- 1 1/4 cups milk (at room temperature)
- to taste spices of choice
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- to taste butter for the pan
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- to taste nutmeg
- 1 tbsp grated cheese (Parmesan, Grana, etc…)
Steps
Prepare the meat and pea sauce
Prepare the aromatic mince by finely chopping the carrot, celery, and onion.
Take the milk out of the fridge.
As for the peas, you can use canned peas (only after rinsing them abundantly under running water), frozen or fresh if in season, but in all cases, preferably pre-cooked.
Heat a generous tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a low pan on medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the ground meat and let it brown over high heat for 5 minutes or until completely dry, without any liquids, stirring very often.
When the meat is fully browned, add the aromatic mince, stir and let it flavor for a couple of minutes, keeping the heat high.
After a couple of minutes, pour in the wine, stir and let the alcohol evaporate for a minute, stirring often.
When the alcohol has evaporated, add the peas, tomato puree, a few basil leaves, salt, cover, and let cook for 30 minutes on the smallest burner over medium-low heat, leaving a crack between the pan and lid (the sauce should be dry).
Meanwhile, we can make the egg-free crepes.
Sift the all-purpose flour and semolina (you can also use only all-purpose flour or 0 flour, but semolina adds a note of flavor and makes the crepes much tastier, in my opinion) together in a large bowl.
Add the milk (at room temperature), salt, and mix until you get a batter as fluid as yogurt and smooth, without lumps, which we will let rest for 15 minutes, covering the bowl with a plate. If the batter seems too thick, add another teaspoon or tablespoon of milk, depending on the desired consistency.
While the batter rests, let’s prepare the béchamel.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. When melted, add the sifted flour, quickly mix with a steel whisk; a cream will immediately form that we’ll let cook for 30 seconds.
After 30 seconds, add all the milk and mix well with a spoon or steel whisk.
Add salt, flavor with nutmeg and let it thicken, stirring very often (keeping the béchamel on low heat will take about 10 minutes).
We should obtain a well-set béchamel, because it will not only further flavor our smiles, but also act as a binder to keep them closed and prevent them from opening during the gratin stage.
With the heat off, add the grated cheese and mix thoroughly to blend it into the hot béchamel.
Let’s prepare the crepes.
Put a thin layer of butter in a 5-inch non-stick pan and let it heat over medium heat.
When the butter is melted, add 2 generous tablespoons of batter and quickly swirl the pan slightly so that the batter covers the entire bottom.
Place the pan back on the burner and let the crepe cook for a minute or a bit more, until you can flip it to the other side using a spatula. If the crepe resists, prolong the cooking a few more seconds. Don’t worry if the first crepe breaks or doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing.
Continue until all the batter is used, always putting a thin layer of butter in the pan. As we remove the crepes from the pan, place them on a plate, one on top of the other.
Well, now we can form our smiles.
Take a crepe and place it on a cutting board.
Brush the inside of the crepe well with a thin layer of béchamel, focusing on the edges.
Place a spoonful of meat and pea sauce (well drained, without liquids) and a scant spoonful of béchamel in the center of the crepe, flattening the filling a bit, if necessary, to close them perfectly.
Close the crepe into a half-moon, brush the surface with a bit more béchamel and place it on a baking tray (lined with parchment paper) using a spatula.
The smiles can also be coated in breadcrumbs, depending on taste, before gratinating.
Continue until all crepes are stuffed.
Put the tray in the oven, turn on the grill and let them gratinate for about 10 minutes or until golden.
They are delicious both hot and warm.
Bon appetit
