Dilled Spinach Crepes With Avgolemono Sauce Recipes

SPINACH CREPES WITH SMOKED SALMON AND CREAM CHEESE

Steps:

• Squeeze the spinach to drain out all excess moisture. Set aside. Place the eggs and milk in a bowl or food processor and beat until well blended. Blend in the flour until smooth. Add the spinach, scallions, half the dill, the cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and blend until very smooth. Stir in the water and allow the batter to rest for 15 minutes.
• Heat a seven- to eight-inch crepe pan over medium-high heat. Brush with oil. Pour about one-third cup of the batter into the pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom evenly. Fry about two minutes, until lightly browned, turn the crepe over and cook about 30 seconds longer. Remove the crepe from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter, making 10 to 12 crepes.
• Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the lemon peel, juice, shallots, remaining dill, capers and paprika. Spread each crepe with some of this mixture, then cover with a layer of smoked salmon. Roll each crepe jellyroll fashion and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least two hours.
• Trim the uneven ends off the rolls and slice each into rounds 1/2-inch thick. Chill until ready to serve.

AVGOLEMONO

Steps:

• Place the chicken, bay leaf and broth in a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 1 1/2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and let it cool.
• Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Clean out any scum in the bottom of the pot and add the broth back to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then add the orzo and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Check for seasoning here, as you may need to add a few teaspoons salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon zest and juice and the flour. Whisk the eggs into the lemon mixture. Pour a little of the simmering broth slowly over the egg mixture and whisk it together. Reduce the heat under the broth to low and whisk in the egg mixture. The soup will thicken slightly and become cloudy. Make sure you don't bring the soup to a rolling boil after you add the eggs. Your eggs will scramble, which will leave you with more of an egg drop soup (which would still be fantastic, but just not the same).
• Chop up the chicken, removing the skin and bones, and add it to the soup along with the dill. Serve immediately.

DILLED SPINACH CREPES WITH AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the filling:
• In a saucepan cook the onion in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened, add the flour, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a stream, whisking, and cook the mixture over moderate heat, whisking, until it is thick. Stir in the nutmeg, the dill, the spinach, and salt and pepper to taste and let the filling cool.
• Make 12 crêpes (procedure follows) with the dill crêpe batter. Spread 2 tablespoons of the filling on each crêpe and roll the crêpe up jelly-roll fashion. Arrange the crêpes, seam sides down, in a buttered shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them in one layer. The crêpes may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Brush the crêpes lightly with the melted butter and bake them in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 20 minutes.
• Make the sauce:
• In a small saucepan bring the broth to a boil. In a bowl whisk together the eggs and the lemon juice. Add half the broth to the egg mixture in a stream, whisking, and whisk the mixture into the remaining broth. Heat the sauce, stirring, until it reaches 170°F. on a candy thermometer and is thickened slightly, but do not let it boil, and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide the crêpes among plate and drizzle the sauce over them.
• Make the dill crêpe batter:
• In a blender or food processor blend the flour, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, the milk, the eggs, the butter, and the salt for 5 seconds. Turn off the motor, add the dill, and with a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the container. Blend the batter for 20 seconds more, transfer it to a bowl, and let it stand, covered and chilled, for 1 hour. The batter may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Makes enough batter for about 13 crêpes.
• Make the crêpes:
• Heat a crêpe pan or non-stick skillet measuring 6 to 7 inches across the bottom over moderate heat until it is hot. Brush the pan lightly with the butter, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, and remove it from the heat. Stir the batter, half fill a 1/4-cup measure with it, and pour the batter into the pan. Tilt and rotate the pan quickly to cover the bottom with a layer of batter and return any excess batter to bowl. Return the pan to the heat, loosen the edge of the crêpe with a spatula, and cook the crêpe for 1 minute, or until the top appears almost dry. Turn the crêpe, cook the other side lightly, and transfer the crêpe to a plate. Make crêpe with the remaining batter in the same manner, brushing the pan lightly with butter as necessary. The crêpes may be made 3 days in advance, kept stacked, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled.