I saw this recipe on twitter from one of my favorite stores to go and ‘get lost’ in, Sur La Table. Now, not sure if it’s because I’m on day 4 of 5 of my MasterCleanser detox, but I really cannot wait to try these babies for the holiday! Crepes are so nice and light and I am certain with the sage herb serve as a beautiful canvas for delicious compliments as fresh apple chutney, creamy pungent blue cheese, and toasted hazelnuts. Can you say heaven!
But don’t wait for me- try it yourself!
Fresh Sage Crêpes with Washington Apple-Dried Currant Chutney, Blue Cheese and Toasted Hazelnuts
Both the crêpes and the chutney can be made in advance, making assembly and serving a snap. Using more than one variety of apples in the chutney add variety in flavor and texture. To push this recipe over the top, drizzle the folded crêpes with a little caramel sauce before serving.
Makes 8 servings
Fresh Sage Crêpes
Ingredients
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
Procedure
To make crêpe batter, whisk together eggs, milk and butter in a medium mixing bowl until well blended. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt until well blended. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and whisk to form a smooth batter with no lumps.
If cooking crêpes immediately, stir in chopped sage with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to combine. Set batter aside for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If using batter the next day, cover and refrigerate. Add the sage just before cooking the crêpes.
To cook crêpes, heat a crêpe pan or 8″ nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush bottom of pan with a thin layer of melted butter. Using a ladle, pour just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan, tipping it to coat evenly. Place pan back on heat and cook until batter is set, about 2–3 minutes. Flip the crêpe with tongs or a fish spatula and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute. If pan begins to smoke, remove from heat briefly and reduce heat. Transfer cooked crêpe to a plate and continue with the rest of the batter, brushing the pan with more butter as needed and stacking finished crêpes on top of each other.
To serve, place a crêpe on a serving plate and spread ¼ cup of chutney across the bottom half of the crêpe. Fold the top half of the crêpe over the filling. Sprinkle folded crêpe with about 1 tablespoon each blue cheese and toasted hazelnuts. Top the center of the crêpe with a small spoonful of chutney. Garnish with sage leaves and serve immediately.
Apple Chutney
Ingredients
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 (3″ long) cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
5 whole cloves
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced or grated
4 medium apples (such as Granny Smith, Braeburn and Gala, or a mix), peeled, seeded and chopped into 1″ chunks
½ cup dried currants
½ cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Pinch of dried red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt br>
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup (4 ounces) blue cheese, crumbled
2/3 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted
Fresh sage leaves, for garnish
Procedure
To make chutney, heat canola oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cinnamon stick, allspice, mustard seeds and cloves. Toast until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Strain oil and toasted spices through a fine-mesh strainer, saving the oil in a small heatproof bowl. Place toasted and strained spices in the center of an 8″ square of cheesecloth. Gather cheesecloth around spices and tie loose ends tightly with kitchen twine. Set spice packet aside.
Return oil to saucepan and heat on medium heat. Add ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add apples, currants and dried cranberries, stirring well to combine. Add vinegar, brown sugar, orange zest and juice, red pepper flakes and salt. Stir well to combine and add toasted spice packet. Increase heat to medium-high and bring chutney to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until chutney is thick, stirring occasionally, about 30–40 minutes. Remove from heat, taste and adjust seasoning. Use chutney immediately or allow to cool, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before using. Reheat gently in a medium saucepan.
Make it a Great Tasting Day!!