Crepes with Salmon and Fennel Filling

This is an over-the-top salmon dish. Crespelle, an Italian pasta-like version of crepes, makes this a showpiece for a home-cooked meal. The Italians call it Cannelloni Ripieni di Salmone. With a name like this, you can’t go wrong. Crepes or cannelloni are filled with salmon, fennel, shallots, parmesan cheese, crème fraîche and basil. A lemony béchamel sauce puts it all together and creates a memorable meal to share with family and friends. Everything can be assembled ahead of time, which in my opinion is perfect for entertaining.

I found the recipe for the crestelIe in an old Gourmet magazine. I miss Gourmet! I think the crepes give the dish an elegant presentation and add flavor, but you can substitute fresh pasta made into cannoli. Although I have to say, I prefer the crepes.

First, I make the crepes and stack them between paper towels and cover everything with plastic wrap. The béchamel sauce can also be prepared ahead of time, but needs to be reheated before using and maybe thinned out a little. It will save you same time if you can have your fish monger skin the salmon and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Spring is asparagus time and that is what I serve as a side dish. I cut off the woody ends and peel part of my asparagus. I massage them on a cookie sheet with some hazelnut oil (although regular olive oil is fine), sprinkle some salt and pepper on then bake it in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes according to size. I like my asparagus crunchy.

Fregolotta, an Italian giant cookie that is easy to make and the perfect ending for this special meal. Click here for the recipe.
I missed my last book club meeting because I was in Germany.  As our next book, our group choose Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, an Australian prisoner who escapes and lives in the underworld of Bombay. It’s a 936-page epic novel about living in the slums, romantic love, prison agony, criminal wars, spiritual gurus and mujaheddin guerrillas. It’s a huge novel that embraces every human experience imaginable, all framed by a love for India. It was an interesting but long read. I liked it.

This recipe makes six large crepes and serves 4-6 people. Make the crepes ahead of time just in case one of them doesn't turn out, in which case you might want to make another batch. Don't let the length of the recipe scare you. Each step is straightforward and doesn't take much time.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

The Crepes

2 large eggs
2/3 cup water
½ cup-all purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
1 TBS finely chopped fresh tarragon
3 TBS Butter melted and cooled
​extra butter for frying the crepes


The Béchamel Sauce

4 TBS (50g) butter
4 TBS (40g) flour
8 oz. (236ml) bottled clam juice
1 ¼ cup (236ml) milk
2/3 cup water
¼ cup cream
2 tsp. lemon zest
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. salt
1 TBS lemon juice
several grinds of nutmeg
​

The Filling

1 TBS finely chopped garlic
2 TBS finely chopped shallots
1 fennel bulb sliced into bite-sized pieces
3 TBS (40g) butter
1 ½ lb. salmon, skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup (150g) crème fraîche
2 TBS parmesan cheese
1 cup sliced basil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
​
For the Crepes

Blend together eggs, water, flour, butter, and salt in a food processor or blender until smooth but no longer than 5 seconds. Be careful not to over-process the batter. Transfer to bowl and add tarragon. For tender crepes, let the batter sit for two hours. Cover and refrigerate the batter if it sits longer than an hour. The batter should be as thick as heavy cream.

Heat a 10-inch skillet until hot, but not smoking. Add a little butter and make sure the pan is coated with the butter. Ladle about 1/3 cup batter into the skillet, tilting and rotating the skillet to coat the bottom, then put the excess batter back into the bowl.  Cook until just set and the underside is lightly browned. Loosen the crepe with a spatular, flip the crepe and cook for about 15 seconds. Invert the crepe onto a clean paper towel to cool. Repeat with the remaining five crepes. If you don't use them right away, stack them after they are cooled between the paper towels and cover the plate with plastic wrap.



The Béchamel Sauce

For the sauce, heat the butter in a heavy pot. Add the flour and whisk until smooth for about two minutes. Add the milk and whisk vigorously until smooth. First add water, then the clam juice, continuously whisking until smooth. Cook for several minutes, add more milk or water to thin out the sauce if necessary.  Add the rest of the ingredients and adjust taste by adding salt, pepper, and nutmeg. 


The Salmon Filling

Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the shallots and fennel and sauté for about three minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another two to three minutes. Add the crème fraîche and parmesan cheese, bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the salmon and basil. 


Assembling the Stuffed Crepes

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F (220 Celsius). Put rack in the middle of the oven.

Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking oil. Cover the bottom with the Béchamel sauce.
Divide the stuffing into six portions. Put the crepes (with cooked side down) and spoon one portion filling in a ribbon down the center of each, and roll up to enclose. Arrange the crepes in the baking dish with the crease side down. Spoon the remaining sauce over all of them. Bake until salmon is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overcook the dish. 


Guten Appetit!
recipe for Crespelle by Gourmet magazine
​recipe for salmon stuffing by©Sunnycovechef