Posted by: Sue Freeman 09-30-99 6:54 AM
Fazzoletti in Salsa di Noce ("Little Hankerchiefs" or "Crepes")
Crespelle "Crepes"
2 eggs
1 cup flour Unbleached
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoons melted butter (if using salted butter omit salt)
Blend together and let stand for at least 30 minutes before making (flour needs to expand and batter thicken slightly).
Heat an 8 inch saute pan and butter lightly (pan should be hot).
Pour 1/4 cup of batter while tilting pan to distribute evenly over bottom of pan.
While holding over heat continue to swirl for one minute and then check underside to see if it is brown.
If crepe is browned and sliding around easily, flip it over to do other side.
You shouldn't have to put it back on heat yet, just hold pan over heat and continue to swirl for about 1 minute.
Turn crepe out on paper towels or wax paper and continue making more crepes until batter is used.
Let crepes cool while making filling.
Crepes can be made ahead of time by 24 hours.
Stack between pieces of wax paper and refrigerate.
Do not fill crepes until ready to bake or use.
Filling:
1 (14 oz) container ricotta *see note
1 cup grated Romano or Parmigginao Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
8 oz chopped mushrooms (any kind you prefer) sliced and sauteed until moisture has evaporated
Mix all filling ingredients together.
*Note on ricotta: Using traditional is naturally most flavorful. If you use non fat or low fat you must put it in a strainer that is covered with a coffee filter or cheesecloth and placed over a bowl to catch whey. You must refrigerate this for at least 24 hours to drain all liquid out of it otherwise dish will be extremely watered down and soggy. You do not need to replace more cheese to make up for water loss.
Sauce:
1 cup walnuts
1 tsp salt
2 tsp minced garlic
3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts Toasted (toast to warm not to brown)
1/2 cup heavy cream
10 to 12 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Put all sauce ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
If sauce is too thick add a little water or more milk.
Sauce should be a thick consistency that will pour on but not spread out a lot without help
of a spoon.
Assemble dish: Lay out a crepe and put a generous Tablespoon (heaping) of filling and flatten it out a little.
Fold crepe over in half and then in half again.
Generously butter a baking dish (big enough to accommodate amount of crepes made).
Spread a little sauce on bottom of dish and place crepes in dish overlapping each other with points up.
Cover with sauce and sprinkle generously with more grated cheese (to taste).
Put in preheated oven 350 for 30 to 40 minutes until lightly browned on edges.
Serve Hot.
Notes: Fill crepes with recipe given or fill with anything you like.
Examples: fill with seafood and cover with a beschemel sauce or vegetables and cover with a beschemel sauce, or fill with fruit or mousse and cover with a fruit sauce or coulis.
Serve with a salad and use as many servings as people want.