Cornmeal Crepes with Bacon-Mushroom Filling

Several weeks ago, I was inspired by Michele's article about cornmeal crepes filled with a mushroom ragout. I jotted the title on a paper scrap and taped it to the cupboard door near my stove. Every day I glanced at that little note and thought, "I must try that soon."

The very idea of it appealed to me. A crepe unlike others I've tried--this one with a texture only found by using cornmeal, filled with sauteed mushrooms in a tomato-sour cream sauce.

Finally, try it I did.

I started with a saucy mushroom filling made even better with a strip of bacon. My crepes were not the greatest--I adapted my asian pancake batter, and it was good, albeit a wee bit rubbery. Not quite ideal, but good, though I probably would not make them quite that way again. But the filling? Oh, yes. A thousand times, yes! It was absolutely delectable. So delicious, in fact, that I fully intend to make it again and again--perhaps alongside chicken or steak, or a warm topping over a fresh salad.

Cornmeal Crepes
makes about 6 5-inch crepes

1/4 cup fine cornmeal (I used Indian Head brand)
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
scant 1/4 cup dry oat bran hot cereal
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

Whisk together and fry one at a time in a small frypan, very lightly oiling before each. Making crepes is easy once you get the hang of it: ladle batter, swirl pan to cover bottom and make it a bit thinner; once set (if you touch the batter lightly--be careful, it's hot--it won't be gooey to the touch), flip and cook only a short time. You don't want to brown it too much, otherwise it won't be flexible.

Crepes may be refrigerated or frozen.


Mushroom Filling
serves 1 (fills 2 small crepes), about 1 cup

1 slice bacon, cut up
1 large shallot, sliced
about 4 ounces white button mushrooms, washed and sliced
2 tablespoons sour cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place bacon in a hot skillet; when the bacon just begins to melt, add shallots and reduce heat to low. Slowly cook bacon and shallots together until bacon begins to brown and shallots are transparent. Add mushrooms and continue to cook. Mushrooms will release their liquid; continue to cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. (My bacon was quite salty, so I only added pepper to finish.)