Crepes with Creamy Mushroom Filling

Mushroom season is just around the corner here in England and I tend to get overly excited about it. Being as impatient as I am I can not wait to pick my own but until then the market bought ones have to suffice. These mushroom filled crepes not only makes an elegant dinner but are also an excellent brunch treat. I love serving them with a good sprinkle of fresh flat leaf parsley. When mushrooms come into season I prefer the porcini or chantarelle for this, but as our local store only stocks closed cap and chestnut mushrooms at the moment I had to make due with chestnut mushrooms. Chantarelles add a nice peppery flavour while porcini makes for a consistency unlike any other mushroom.

Don’t worry, the instructions might seem long but they are very detailed. Once you made this dish a few times it takes less than 20 minutes from start to end.

Ingredients : metric ( imperial )

Serves 2

For the crepes:

• 250ml  (1 cup)  almond milk
• 250ml  (1 cup)  water
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon ground chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 200g  (1 cup and 2 tbsp) all purpose flour
• pinch of pepper

For the filling

• 25g (3 tbsp) vegan butter, or any oil you want to use
• 25g (2 tbsp) flour 
• 250ml (1 cup) almond milk, room temperature

• 250g mushrooms
• 1 tsp vegan butter
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

First start off by making the crepes. Pour all the crepes ingredients into a blender or mixing bowl and whisk together for about 30 seconds. Don’t use high speed blenders or over-process it as this will result in very rubbery crepes. Place the bowl or mixing jug of your blender into the fridge and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. This is necessary to give the chia seeds and the lemon juice time to work their way into the batter. While you wait you can prepare the fillings and preheat your pan.

There is no need to splurge on a crepe pan. Any flat, cast iron or non-stick pan that is large enough to bake crepes of your liking will do.

If you use a non stick pan there is nothing you need to consider apart from turning the heat to medium. If you use a cast iron pan you will need to brush the pan slightly with oil in between each pancake to ensure they won’t stick.

Once the pan is preheated you can start baking your crepes. You know the pan is ready when you can drop a tiny amount of batter into the pan and are able to lift it with ease after a few seconds.

Pour batter into the pan and tilt it in a clockwise motion to spread the batter evenly. You want the batter to be about 1 millimeter thick. Cook the crepe until the edges start to lift up slightly on the edges. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Flip your crepe and cook on the other side until it has cooked through, about 1 minute.

Keep them warm in a preheated oven at 50°C ( 120°F) while preparing the sauce.

Place the vegan butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and melt it completely. Add the flour and stir quickly until combined and keep stirring and cooking the flour and oil mix for a few minutes. It will dry out a little bit and resemble dough as you can see in the pictures.

Don’t let the mass darken, you want the flour just cooked, not fried.

Add the milk a few tablespoons at a time and stir vigorously to soften the mixture and the mass is of even consistency. Keep adding and stirring the liquid into the mass a few tablespoons at a time until the milk is incorporated. 

Don’t be tempted to add all the liquid at once. It will result in a clumpy disaster. Trust me, I’ve tried. 

While the sauce is thickening, slice the mushrooms and chop the garlic finely. Add 1 tsp butter to a pan, add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms, stir to coat, and cook for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with black pepper, salt and and top it into the bechamel sauce. Mix until well combined.

Take the crepes out of the oven and fill them with the mushroom cream. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately. As they say in France – et voila, your very own crepes with creamy mushroom filling.

For a sweet version of these crepes, click the picture below. 

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