Recipe: Crepes with Shiitake Mushrooms & Poblano Chile Sauce

For busy owners and proprietors of bed & breakfast inns, there are typically not enough hours in a day to research recipes designed to enliven your breakfast fare. Always on the lookout for exciting dishes to enhance your breakfast rotation, Inn Cuisine is dedicated to providing inn owners (and dedicated home cooks) the finest recipes, perfectly suited for bed & breakfast cuisine.

The following dish is a surefire way to curtail morning monotony or breakfast menu blues. Made using crepes which can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, and a sauce you can prepare up to 1 day in advance, this recipe can leave you valuable time to dote on guests or attend to chores. Even better, the main part of this dish can be prepared 1 day in advance, covered with foil and chilled until you’re ready to bake. Voila! A delightful breakfast can then be baked in 12 minutes or less!

Recipe: Crepes with Shiitake Mushrooms & Poblano Chile Sauce

(the following recipe was adapted from The Bon Appetit Cookbook, circa 2006)

Note - The following measurements for poblano sauce and mushroom filling will produce approximately 12 servings. The linked recipe for basic crepes produces about 2 dozen crepes. Because each serving is comprised of 2 filled crepes, the amounts listed are correct for approximate crepe to sauce/filling ratio.

To Access the Basic Crepe Recipe – Click Here

Poblano Chile Sauce

• 12 large, fresh Poblano Chile Peppers (look for Poblano Chiles with a deep green color and no wrinkles or soft spots)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup chopped white Onion
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose Flour (6 tablespoons equals 3/8 of a cup)
• 4 cups warm whole Milk
• 1 cup whipping Cream

Shiitake Mushroom Filling

• 2/3 cup corn Oil
• 4 cups chopped white Onion
• 2 pounds fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced (look for Shiitake Mushrooms with firm, spongy caps and small stems)
• 4 tablespoons minced fresh Cilantro (4 tablespoons equals 1/4 of a cup)
• 8 teaspoons finely chopped Garlic (8 teaspoons equal 2 & 2/3 tablespoons)

To Top Filled Crepes Before Baking

• 2 cups (about 8 ounces) coarsely grated Manchego* OR White Cheddar Cheese

(*Spain’s most famous cheese, Manchego, is made from sheep’s milk and can range in flavor from from mild to sharp depending on how long it has been aged. While Manchego tends to be soft and crumbly in texture, it also has a pleasing bite with nutty, buttery undertones. You can find Manchego cheese in select supermarkets, specialty food stores, or order from gourmet grocers online.)

For Garnish

• 6 tablespoons corn Oil (6 tablespoons equals 3 fluid ounces)
• 1 cup fresh Corn kernels
• fresh Cilantro sprigs

*Sauce and filling measurements (as listed above) will produce enough for approximately 12 servings (2 filled crepes per serving.)

Cooking instructions continued after the jump…

Preparing the Poblano Chile Sauce

Begin by charring fresh poblano chile peppers directly over a gas flame (or under a broiler) until blackened on all sides. Why is this step so important? Because charring vegetables over (or under) high heat can help impart a deep, smoky flavor so vital in adding a savory dimension to recipes. After charring, allow the poblanos to rest inside a brown paper bag, or on a plate covered with plastic wrap, for 10 minutes. This step allows the poblanos to cool, making it easier to remove their skin. When cooled, peel and seed the peppers, and cut into thin slices.

Next, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Then add garlic, stirring for 30 seconds. Next, stir in flour (the mixture may be firm) and saute 1 minute longer. Whisk in warm milk and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer until sauce thickens and whisk occasionally (about five minutes in total.)

When the sauce is cooked, pour into a blender and add whipping cream and half of the roasted, sliced chiles (reserving the remaining half for garnish.) Blend sauce until smooth, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

(If preparing this sauce in advance, you may cover tightly and chill for up to 24 hours. Before using, whisk over medium heat until just warmed.)

Preparing the Shiitake Mushroom Filling

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, cilantro and garlic. Saute until mushrooms are brown and mushroom liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Filling the Crepes

Prepare a large baking sheet by brushing it with oil. Next, find a suitable work surface and lay out 1 cooked crepe at a time, brownest side up. Place 2 full tablespoons of mushroom filling in center of crepe. Fold crepe in half, and then fold in half again, forming a triangle. Place each finished crepe on prepared baking sheet, repeating this process 1 crepe at a time until all the crepes have been filled.

At this point, if you are preparing ahead, you may cover the baking sheet tightly with aluminum foil and chill in refrigerator up to 24 hours.

Baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour 1/4 cup of warmed, poblano chile sauce onto the center of 12* ovenproof plates. (*As this recipe makes 12 servings, the number of plates used may be adjusted up or down according to how many crepes you are actually preparing.)

Top each plate with 2 filled crepes. Pour 1/4 cup sauce over the top of the crepes. Sprinkle with grated cheese (Manchego or white cheddar) and bake until cheese melts, approximately 12 minutes (watch carefully to prevent burning.)

While Crepes Are Baking

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy, medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add reserved poblano chile peppers and corn kernels. Saute until heated through, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt.

Garnish

Garnish each plate of baked crepes with sauteed chiles and corn, adding sprigs of fresh cilantro.

Serving

Serve warm, warning guests that plates may still be hot to the touch. Give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy!

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