Delicate Crepe And Smoked Salmon Gateau Recipes

CREPES WITH SMOKED SALMON, RICOTTA, RED ONION AND CAPERS WITH LEMON CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• For the crepes: Combine the milk, flour, sugar, salt, eggs and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a blender and blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. Let the batter rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before using or transfer to a container with a lid and let rest in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
• For the lemon creme fraiche: Whisk together the creme fraiche, lemon zest and juice and some salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
• For the herbed ricotta and topping: Put the ricotta, chives, dill, parsley, lemon zest and some salt and pepper in a medium bowl and work together with a fork.
• Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly brush with some of the remaining melted butter. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the crepe batter and swirl the skillet so the batter completely covers the bottom. Cook until the underside of the crepe is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Loosen the edge of the crepe with a rubber spatula, then with your fingertips, quickly flip. Cook 1 minute more. Slide the crepe out of the skillet and repeat with the remaining batter, coating the skillet with butter as needed. Stack the finished crepes directly on top of each other.
• Lay 8 crepes on a flat surface. Smear about 1/4 cup herbed ricotta in a wide strip down the center of each. Top with 2 or 3 slices of salmon, then gather the sides of each crepe around the filling, leaving most of the filling exposed. Scatter some onion slices and capers over the filling, then drizzle some lemon creme fraiche on top. Scatter some dill fronds on top and serve.

SMOKED SALMON CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• For the crepes: Whisk the eggs and flour in a medium bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk in the milk, 2 tablespoons warm water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper until smooth. Refrigerate the batter, covered, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with melted butter. Whisk the 2 tablespoons of melted butter into the crepe batter (batter will appear a bit grainy, but that's OK). Ladle a scant 1/4 cup batter into the skillet, and swirl the batter around to cover the bottom. Cook the crepe over medium heat until the top appears dry and the edge is starting to curl back, about 30 seconds. Flip the crepe with your fingers or a spatula, and cook until brown in spots, about 15 seconds. Transfer the crepe to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining batter, for a total of 12 crepes (you can stack them on the rack once they've cooled). (The crepes can be refrigerated, wrapped, overnight.)
• For the cream cheese spread: Combine the cream cheese, capers, cornichons, dill, lemon juice and zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl with a spatula. Drizzle in the heavy cream, and mix until smooth; set aside at room temperature.
• To assemble: Line an 8-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap so it overhangs by 4 inches on both sides. Place 1 crepe (this will be the top of the cake, so pick a pretty one) on a work surface, and spread evenly with 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese spread. Transfer the crepe, cheese-side up, to the cake pan. Arrange pieces of gravlax evenly over the cheese spread, sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, then scatter with 1 tablespoon of the onion, followed by a generous tablespoon of the egg. Repeat 6 times. Spread the 8th crepe with 2 tablespoons of the cheese spread, then place it on top of the other layers, cheese-side down, to create the bottom of the cake. Stretch the plastic wrap over the cake to draw the lacy edges of the crepes up a bit and to cover the cake completely. Use a small cast-iron skillet or a large glass measuring cup to weigh down the cake and press it into an even shape. Refrigerate at least 1 hour up to overnight.
• To garnish: Remove the weight from the cake, and peel back the plastic. Use the long sides of the plastic to ease the cake out of the pan. Flip the cake pan over, and set the crepe cake on top. Place a serving plate over the cake, and invert the cake onto it. Remove the plastic. Whip the cream in a medium bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Use an offset spatula to spread the whipped cream decoratively over the top of the crepe cake. Toss the dill, capers, cornichons and lemon zest in a small bowl until lightly combined, scatter the mixture over the whipped cream and sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper.

CREPES WITH SMOKED SALMON AND LEMON-HERB SOUR CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, add all of the crepe batter ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Expect the batter to be thinner than normal pancake batter. Refrigerate the batter for at least 30 minutes.
• When ready to make the crepes, lightly brush a 6 to 8-inch crepe pan or small nonstick skillet with melted butter and put over medium-high heat.
• Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into the center of the hot pan.
• Lift the pan, removing it from the heat, and swirl so the batter coats the bottom of the pan in an even layer that's as thin as possible. If you have a few holes in the crepe, you can add a bit more batter to those bald spots to cover them. If there is excess batter in the pan, simply pour it back into the batter bowl.
• Return the pan to the heat and cook until the edges crisp and the batter loses its shine, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Using a nonstick spatula, flip the crepe and continue cooking on the other side, another 30 to 45 seconds.
• If making crepes in advance, you can either slide the cooked crepes onto a cookie sheet and keep warm in a 200 degree F oven, or stack on a plate, putting waxed paper between each layer to prevent sticking while you continue with the remaining batter.
• When ready to serve, heat 1 crepe in a pan and add some of the filling, warming slightly. (If you imagine your crepe to be divided into quarters, you only want to add filling to the bottom corner in order to fold it properly. The crepe should be folded in half (like you would an omelet) and then again into a neat triangle (like a piece of pie). If you want more filling, crepes can be either rolled or folded in half.)
• Combine the sour cream or creme fraiche, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, chives, and capers, in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• To serve, put a piece of smoked salmon in the bottom corner of a warmed crepe, folding in half (like you would an omelet) and then again into a neat triangle (like a piece of pie). Repeat with remaining crepes and filling. Arrange the crepes on a serving platter. Top each with a dollop of lemon-herb cream and a caper berry before serving.

SMOKED-SALMON CRêPE TORTE

Steps:

• To prepare the crêpes, stir the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk, eggs, and melted butter together in a small bowl. Pour half of the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk mixture and continue whisking until the batter is completely smooth. Strain the batter through a fine-mesh strainer. Let the batter rest for half an hour before cooking.
• Line a tray with parchment paper. Heat a crêpe pan or a 7-inch nonstick sauté pan or skillet over moderately high heat. Spray the pan lightly with cooking oil or brush with melted butter. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the side of the pan and swirl to coat the bottom, forming a thin layer. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the crêpe and the edges begin to brown lightly. Flip the crêpe over using a spatula. Cook the second side for about 10 seconds and turn the crêpe onto the prepared tray to cool. Continue cooking crepes until all the batter is used. You should have 11 crêpes (see Note).
• To prepare the filling, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, process the cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and add the scallion, capers, lemon juice, milk, and salmon. Process for another 15 seconds, then scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula again. Blend for another 10 seconds or until the mixture looks fairly smooth. Divide the filling into 10 portions, each about 2 heaping tablespoons.
• Place a crêpe on a serving plate and spread one portion of filling completely and evenly over its surface with a metal offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Top with another crêpe and carefully spread another portion of filling on top, making sure you spread to the edges. Continue until all of the filling and the crêpes are stacked, ending with a plain crêpe on top. Cover the torte with plastic film and chill for at least 1/2 hour before slicing and serving.
• Cut the torte into small wedges with a sharp knife. Clean the knife between cuts to make a neat sliced appearance. Any remaining pieces of torte can be wrapped tightly with plastic film and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.