One thing I love about this meal is that crepes are so often associated with sweet and rich dessert like breakfasts but they are so much better than that! In the spring, when morels and wild leeks are growing abundantly out in the woods, this is a great meal. Allium, I should note, is the family that garlic, onions, leeks, ramps, etc. all belong to.
Ingredients:
Crepes
1 c flour
½ c milk
½ c water
3 tbsp melted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Additional butter for frying
Greek yogurt for serving
Allium Jam
2 c finely diced raw onion, leeks or ramp bulbs
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 tbsp brown sugar
Juice and zest of one lemon
Brown Butter Morels
8 oz fresh morels (or 2 oz dried morels, rehydrated)
2 tbsp butter
Pinch of salt
Step One: Crepe Batter
In a medium size mixing bowl, add flour and salt and whisk together. Crack both eggs into the flour and whisk in the eggs, forming pastey pale yellow clumps. Add vanilla, milk and water and whisk out the lumps as much as possible. Lastly, add the melted butter and whisk until thin and smooth, like the consistency of thick egg nog. If you like, refrigerate the batter for an hour or so before cooking, but this step is not necessary.
Step Two: Allium Jam
Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat with grapeseed oil in the pan. Drop your allium into the pan once the oil is hot. Turn heat to low and stir regularly. The goal is to allow the allium to release their natural sugars into the pan. Add small amounts of oil as needed to prevent sticking. While the alliums soften, go ahead and make crepe batter. Periodically stir onion jam and as the allium begins to carmelize, add lemon juice and sugar and stir well. Once jam thickens, remove from direct heat so as not to burn the jam, but keep it near passive heat while the crepes and mushrooms cook.
Step Three: Make crepes
Turn on oven to its lowest possible setting, just to have a place to put the crepes to stay warm as they are cooked. Heat nonstick pan on medium heat and drop a pad of butter into the pan. Allow butter to melt and fully coat the pan. Pour crepe batter into the pan to cover a 3 inch diameter circle. Then lift the pan and swirl it such that the batter spreads out evenly an additional inch beyond the perimeter of the initial batter deposit. Once the crepe starts to show little bubbles and seems to have lost much of its moisture (about 3 minutes), flip and cook an additional minute on the other side. Once first crepe is done, put onto cookie sheet in oven. Continue to cook the crepes and once you have the hang of it, get ready to cook the morels simultaneously.
Step Three: Brown Butter Morels
Turn on medium sized pan with medium heat and drop in butter. Once the butter is thin, spread it out over the whole pan. As it starts to brown and bubble, drop the morels into the pan and sprinkle with salt.
Step Four: Enjoy!!
Top crepe with a dollop of Greek yogurt, smear of the allium jam, and a spoonful of morels. Garnish with chopped chives or ramp leaves. Get wild and add a little maple syrup for that whole sweet and savory vibe. Or add some hot honey for some spicy sweet magic. You do you. And with this dish, you really can not go wrong.