My mother is getting ready to go on a trip in April to Northern Italy, France and Monaco and it made me think about these Crepes I had in Monaco of all places. I never did get to have Crepes while we were in France.
A few in our group went to Crêperie du Rocher which has some of the best Crepes I have ever tasted. I believe they were anywhere between 2.50 to 7.00 Euros depending upon the filling you had received. Randy got a Sausage and Goat Cheese Crepe and I got a chocolate Crepe. I loved mine but Randy was less than thrilled when his Sausage looked and tasted more like the American Hotdog. I believe he was thinking it was going to more like an Italian Sausage type stuffing.
So I have been thinking about this trip a lot lately, I decided to give my Crepe making skills a whirl. These are Sausage and Butternut Squash Crepes with a goat cheese cream sauce. Now I am sure I just heard a few people that says "Oh I don't like goat cheese" But really it is lovely, flavorful and mild in this sauce and your gust would never would have known it is in there unless you told them.
The first one never comes out correctly. I don't wait for the pan to get hot enough to give it a nice brown sear and become a bit eggy tasting. The Second attempt turned out nicely and once you make one or two you get the hang of it quickly. I like Crepes because they are versatile and really inexpensive to make!
Ingredients For Crepes
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Ingredients for stuffing
1/2 lbs of italian sausage
1/2 cup of butternut squash
1/4 cup of heavy cream
1/4 cup of sour cream
4 oz of goat cheese
Directions for Filling
(Side note) I used left over Butternut Squash from a prior recipe. If you do not have any left over you need to peel, remove seeds, and dice your squash.
In a pan heat one tablespoon of oil. Once hot add the butternut squash and saute until soft or untill it has a bite to it. Add your salt and pepper to it and set aside. It should look like the squash I pictured below. In the same pan cook your Italian Sausage untill browned. Drain and set aside.
In a small pot add your Heavy Cream, Sour Cream, and Goat Cheese together. Let simmer untill the Goat Cheese is melted. Stir often and add salt and pepper to taste.
Directions for Crepes
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
*TIP* I did not oil my frying pan, I used a small 8 inch Stainless Steel Pan. It was so hot the crepes did not stick to it at all.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen the edges with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. You might have to practice a few times to get the technique down.
Once you have cooked your crepes its time to assemble your Crepes. Take a spoon and spoon in the sausage and squash mixture in the middle of your crepe. Add two tablespoons of the Goat Cheese Cream Sauce and fold. If you would like to, you can add some of the sauce on the top of your crepe.
I have never seen any Italian sausage in France, so I make my own.
One of the best crepes I ever tasted was in Bretagne, the homeland of crepes. The crepe itself was the traditional sarrasin type used for savory crepes, and the filling was thin slices of smoked duck {but I have since used jambon fume, and bacon successfully}, slices of chevre, and just a light drizzle of honey.
Ohymgodgood!
Sistabella that sounds amazing! I Have had duck before but never smoked. I bet that tasted amazing! Thank you for sharing.