Smoked Salmon Crepes with Green Asparagus

Crepes with green asparagus, the perfect and impressive appetizer or light lunch option if you have a bit of time and don’t mind the work. The batter resting period consumed the most time. The possibility of doing a great part of this dish in advance and then assembling it just before serving was what I was looking for plus the bonus of not worrying about guests being late.

Yield: 8 crepes

Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

Asparagus

• 16 to 20 green asparagus

Crepes:

• 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk or more as needed
• 2 Tbsp melted butter, cooled
• vegetable oil for frying the crepes

Crepes Filling:

• 1/2 cup (125 g) sour cream or greek thick yogurt
• 1/2 cup (115 g) mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 oz (150 g) sliced smoked salmon

Sauce Hollandaise:

(makes about 1 cup)

• 5 oz (140 g) unsalted butter
• 3 egg yolks
• salt
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice or to taste

Preparation:

Green Asparagus:

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan large enough to hold the asparagus. Add salt. Have an ice water bowl ready. Cut off the tough ends and cook the asparagus at a rapid simmer for 2-4 minutes depending on the thickness of the spears. Drain asparagus and immediately plunge them into the ice water to arrest cooking and preserve their nice green color. Drain again and spread asparagus on paper towels and blot them dry. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Crepes Filling:

Mix all ingredients except for the smoked salmon and refrigerate until ready to use.

Crepes:

In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Add egg and mix it with a wire whisk. Add milk in a stream whisking to make a smooth batter. Blend in the melted butter. If the batter appears clumpy pass it through a fine sieve to smooth out flour clumps with the back of a wooden spoon. Allow standing for 30 minutes at room temperature. The batter will thicken a bit. If necessary add a bit more milk to thin it up. Crepe batter should be thin enough to enable you to quickly swirl it in the pan and cover the bottom of it.  Your first crepe may fall apart. Do not despair. It is not a disaster in the making. Take a deep breath and continue with the next one.

Lightly oil an 8-inch (20 cm) non-stick pan. Place it over medium-high heat. Let it heat well. Pour about 3 tablespoons batter into the pan. Swirl it quickly and when bubbles start to appear on the surface of the batter, after about 30 seconds, lift crepe and flip it on the other side with the aid of a spatula. Let it brown again for 30 seconds. Transfer crepes to plate lined parchment paper. Keep layering finished crepes between parchment sheets until you have used all the batter. You may need to add a thin layer of vegetable oil as you go. Allow crepes to cool and refrigerate until needed. Crepes can be made up to 3 days in advance.

Sauce Hollandaise:

Melt the butter over moderately low heat in a small saucepan. Do not let it boil. Carefully skim the white milky substance on top of the melted butter. Discard.  Set aside and keep it warm.

Add egg yolks, salt, cayenne and lemon juice in a blender. Blend egg mixture at medium-high speed until yolks are light in color. Lower the speed of the blender and with the machine still running drizzle in the warm melted butter. Blend until butter is well incorporated. Tip sauce back into the saucepan, adjust salt and lemon juice to your taste. Keep it warm, do not let it cook. If you like a thinner sauce hollandaise add a bit of warm water to it.

To assemble:

Spread mayonnaise mixture on the crepes surface keeping about 1 1/2 inch (about 3/4 cm) away from the edges. You will roll crepes afterward and you do not want the mayo spread oozing out of the crepes later on. Place smoked salmon on top of spread and roll crepes firmly like a jelly roll. Slice crepes in the middle and arrange it attractively on a plate. Serve it with green asparagus and Sauce Hollandaise.