Beggars Purse- stuffed with fresh salmon
Herb crepe batter (see recipe below)
Smoked salmon (I prefer the ready to eat kind at Costco – canned Salmon will work as an alternative.)
1 small to medium sized cucumber, peeled and diced
¼ Cup plus 1 to 2 Tbs. of minced fresh chives or green onion
15-18 long strands of chive or green onion tops (6-7 inches long)
Filling
1 Cup of Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt
1 Tablespoon of chopped parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp. vinegar
Pinch of Salt and Pepper to taste
Combine filling ingredients in small mixing bowl, cover and set aside in refrigerator.
Herb Crepes: Follow the basic crepe recipe and add ¼ cup minced fresh chives to the batter while blending or stir in by hand. The recipe should yield 15-18 crepes.
Prepare the crepes, letting each finished crepe slightly cool on a clean towel in between cooking. Crepes may be stacked one on top of another after a short cooling. Beggars purse crepes should be served warm and so cover stacked crepes with aluminum foil and rest them in a 200 degree oven.
Assemble the purses one crepe at a time by filling the center of each crepe with a dollop of the sour cream/yogurt filling. Place a small portion of diced cucumber on top of the dollop and then place a small portion of salmon on top of the cucumber. Sprinkle with minced chive if desired. Gather in the sides of the crepe to form the shape of a small drawstring bag and complete a tie around the top with long strand of chive or green onion. Enjoy!
* A beggars purse makes a great hors d’oeuvre or, one or two alone coupled with your favorite greens turns a small salad into a pleasant meal. Cranberries and sliced apple are excellent accompaniments to this beggars purse!
Basic Crepe Recipe
2 large eggs
1 CUP milk
1/3 CUP water
1 CUP all-purpose flour
¼ TEASPOON salt
2 TABLESPOONS butter, melted, plus 2 to 3 teaspoons butter for coating the pan
METHOD FOR BATTER:
In a blender or food processor, blend the eggs, milk, flour, salt, and the 2 tablespoons melted butter until smooth. Stir down and repeat if necessary. Or, to mix by hand, sift the flour into a medium bowl and add the salt. Whisk the eggs until blended, mix in the milk and water, and whisk this mixture into the flour & salt; stir in the 2 tablespoons melted butter. Cover refrigerate for at least 1 hour ( though 2 hours is preferable or up to 24 hours.)
Crepe batter should be allowed to rest for 1 to 24 hours before use. This allows the gluten to relax, and the flour to absorb the liquid therefore collapsing any air bubbles in the batter.
Gently stir the batter if it has separated. Heat a 6- or 7- inch nonstick crepe pan over medium-high heat until hot. Coat the pan lightly with butter, lift the pan from the heat, and pour in a small ladle full of batter, tilting and rotating the pan to coat the surface. Cook until almost dry on top and lightly browned on the edges, about 1 minutes. Loosen the edges with a plastic spatula and flip the crepe over using your fingers or the spatula, then cook the other side for about 15 seconds. Or until lightly browned. Turn the crepe out onto a clean tea towel to cool. Repeat by remixing batter wiping the pan with butter as needed and stacking crepes as they are cooked.
It is best to use a ladle and to quickly coat the bottom of the pan with a thin coat of batter. The quicker the thinner the better! Tilting the pan is a good way to evenly distribute the batter. When the edges of the crepe are dry and begin to pull away from the pan, use your fingers to gently lift and flip the crepe. The second side should be done in seconds and be ready to be placed on wax paper to cool. Putting a sheet of wax paper between the crepes will keep them from sticking together and can be immediately placed in a plastic bag for storage in the refrigerator or freezer. You can refrigerate crepes for up to 3 days, or freeze them for up to 2 months.
For serving immediately, cover the crepes with aluminum foil and keep them warm in a preheated 200 degree f oven.
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