A very delicate first course: late radicchio and walnut crepes in a completely plant-based version.
Light and tasty, the crepes are filled with late radicchio, walnuts and vegan béchamel. If you want to check other crepe recipes try:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Days
- Portions: 15 crepes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups type 2 flour
- 1 1/4 cups plant milk (unsweetened)
- 2 tbsp almond cream (spread) (light, 100% almonds)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 shallot
- 10.6 oz Treviso red radicchio IGP, late variety
- 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)
- 1 pinch pepper
- 2 cups béchamel (vegan)
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp marjoram
- to taste sea salt
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Pan
- 1 Small saucepan
I used a small 7 in pan.
Sift the flour into a bowl and gradually add the plant milk until you have a smooth batter. Let it rest for half an hour.
Add the almond cream, one tablespoon of oil and the salt. Mix well.
Oil the pan using a paper towel, heat it over low heat and then raise the flame to medium.
Use a small ladle to take a little batter and pour it into the center of the pan, quickly rotating your wrist so it spreads evenly.
Return the pan to the heat and continue cooking for a couple of minutes until the edges turn golden.
Gently lift and flip the crepe and cook the other side for one minute.
Slide the crepe onto a plate and continue cooking the rest, remembering to stir the batter occasionally so the flour doesn’t settle at the bottom.
Prepare all the crepes and set them aside. You can also make the crepes the day before and keep them in the refrigerator.
For the filling.
Wash and chop the late radicchio and drain it.
In a pan pour one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and the chopped shallot. Sauté for a few minutes then add the radicchio, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper and cook for ten minutes until tender, being careful not to dry it out; cover with a lid. When cooked, set aside.
Chop the walnuts. Prepare the vegan béchamel as per the recipe.
Assemble the crepes. Oil the baking dish or individual ovenproof dishes, mix the radicchio with 1.5 oz (40 g) of chopped walnuts and a few generous spoons of béchamel, adjust seasoning. Take a crepe, spread some filling and fold it in half, place it on the baking dish and continue with the others.
Add the remaining béchamel, the remaining walnuts and bake for 20 minutes at 356°F.
Tips from Timo e Lenticchie
You can freeze the crepes before filling them, separating them with a sheet of parchment paper. You can also freeze them with the filling but before baking.
Alternatively, you can store the cooked crepes in the refrigerator and reheat them the next day.
