Recipe Fridays: Smoked Salmon Crepe Torte

As I mentioned last time, I have awesome friends that will make things from cookbooks I lend them, and then take photographs and tell me about them.  Come on!  Awesome! 

Unfortunately, I did not get to try a piece this time, but c’est ça – it is what it is. 

One point that was noted was the spread itself was lovely on its own for bagels, and the crepes, likely in the future, would be foregone in favor of bagels – less work and more reward.  Something like that.  Sounds good to me!

Savory Baking
Mary Cech
Chronicle Books, 2009

Smoked Salmon Crepe Torte

Crepes
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

(change: all all-purpose flour)

Smoked-Salmon Filling
1 8oz package cream cheese at room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons roughly chopped scallion, green part only
2 teaspoons capers, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 4oz package smoked salmon

To prepare the crepes, stir the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and salt together in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk, eggs, and melted butter together in a small bowl. Pour half of the milk mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the remaining milk mixture and continue whisking until the batter is completely smooth. Strain the batter through a fine-mesh strainer. Let the batter rest for half an hour before cooking.

Line a tray with parchment paper. Heat a crepe pan or a 7-inch nonstick saute pan or skillet over moderately high heat. Spray the pan lightly with cooking oil or brush with melted butter. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the side of the pan and swirl to coat the bottom, forming a thin layer. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the crepe and the edges begin to brown lightly. Flip the crepe over using a spatula. Cook the second side for about 10 seconds, then turn the crepe onto the prepared tray to cool. Continue cooking crepes until all the batter is used. You should have 11 crepes (see Note).

To prepare the filling, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, process the cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl  with a rubber spatula and add the scallion, capers, lemon juice, milk, and salmon, Process for another 15 seconds, then scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula again. Blend for another 10 seconds or until the mixture looks fairly smooth. Divide the filling into 10 portions, each about 2 heaping tablespoons.

Place a crepe on a serving plate and spread one portion of filling completely and evenly over its surface with a metal offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Top with another crepe and carefully spread another portion of filling on top, making sure you spread to the edges. Continue until all of the filling and the crepes are stacked, ending with a plain crepe on top. Cover the torte with plastic film and chill for at least half an hour before slicing and serving.

Cut the torte into small wedges with a sharp knife. Clean the knife between cuts to make a neat sliced appearance. Any remaining pieces of torte can be wrapped tightly with plastic film and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Note: the crepes and the filling can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Let the filling come to room temperature and assemble as directed.

(I made only 10 crepes in order to use some filling for bagels. I also didn’t rest the batter, nor strain it first. And finally, I thinned it slightly to make the crepes work better.)

Happy eating!!!