Ficelle Picarde Recipe (Crepe Gratin)

Ficelle picarde, which literally translates to "Picard string" in French, sounds like a fancy dish, but really, it's just a savory crêpe gratin filled with sautéed chopped mushrooms (called duxelles). It's a specialty from the region of Picardy, located in the North of France. The authentic dish is made with ham but I replaced it with soy chorizo to make it vegetarian. First, mushroom stuffed crêpes are rolled, then placed in a casserole dish, covered with Mornay mushroom cream sauce and sprinkled with Gruyère cheese. The last step is 5 to 10 minutes in the oven until bubbly and golden.

Crêpes are a fairly frequent dish at our home. The batter can be prepared in advance and you could also store pre-cooked crêpes in the freezer for faster assembly time. Whether they are served as a savory dish or as a dessert (or both!), we always find a new way to pair them with interesting combinations of flavors.

Beet and Goat Cheese Crepe Recipe

I love the combination of beets and goat cheese. They pair wonderfully, and I’ve used them in many recipes. I had both ingredients on hand today, so I mixed them together and stuffed them in crêpes.

Making crêpe batter is very basic. I first learned how to make crêpes in kindergarten back in France, and I haven't forgotten since then. The quantities go like so: 2 eggs, 250 grams of flour (1-3/4 cups) and ½ liter of milk (2 cups). Allow to rest for a few hours. I then adjust the quantities of liquid by eyeballing until the perfect consistency is reached (see tips).   

Our friend Carole (she is by the way the editor of PhamFatale.com) always sends me wonderful cooking tips along with the corrections of my daily recipes. Carole and her husband David recently hosted a crêpe party at their home. She told me that leftover cooked crêpes store incredibly well in the freezer, which I immediately wanted to try. I’ve made several batches of crêpes since then, but even after my third attempt, no leftovers. What can I say, I live with wolves!