Roasted Rhubarb & Rye Crêpes

Roasted Rhubarb & Rye Crêpes

Makes 6-8 tender, earthy, tangy-sweet crêpes (including 1-2 sacrificial ones as you get the hang of it, aka cook’s treats)

RHUBARB

• 4 stalks rhubarb, cut into 3-inch lengths on a diagonal, any especially wide stalks cut in half lengthwise, then into sections

• 1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped from pod

• 1/2 cinnamon stick

• Peeled strips from 1 small orange, any bitter white pith removed

• Juice from 1 orange

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• Few grinds of black pepper

CRÊPES

• 1/2 cup AP flour

• 1/2 cup rye flour

• 3 tbsp salted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 1 1/2 c full fat buttermilk

• 2 tsp cane sugar

• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 4 eggs

WHIPPED CREAM

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 2 tbsp maple syrup, plus more to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Beat together the liquid ingredients for crêpes: whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, then the butter.

2. Sift in flours and whisk together to form a smooth batter. It will resemble a loose custard. Rest for at least 40 minutes. This step can be done up to two days in advance. Add the salt and sugar and mix until uniform.

3. Preheat the oven to 400°.

4. In an ovenproof dish, toss together the rhubarb, vanilla bean and seeds, orange peels, cinnamon stick, orange juice, black pepper, and maple syrup. Roast rhubarb for 15 minutes, or until pieces give easily when pressed with the back of a spoon. Remove from the oven, discard vanilla bean and cinnamon stick, and set the dish aside.

5. Pour the heavy cream into a small blender vessel. Blend on high speed for 10 seconds, just long enough to form soft peaks. Add the maple syrup. Blend again to form soft peaks, about 7 seconds, then taste and adjust sweetness as needed - it should taste somewhat (not very) sweet. Place the whipped cream in the fridge until you’re at the table.

6. Heat a 10-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Add a tiny bit of butter and swirl to coat - just enough to make the pan not feel dry - and only at the beginning. (Too much butter will prevent the crêpes from holding their shape as they cook)

7. Add 1/4 cup water and mix into the crêpe batter to thin slightly for easy pouring. The first crêpe is often a sacrificial one, which makes for a good snack as you work.

8. Ladle a generous 1/4 cup of batter into the hot pan and swirl to as thinly as possible coat the entire pan surface. Cook for a solid minute on the first side. When the edge has crisped and begun to brown, and begins to pull away from the pan, then is it ready to flip.

9. I use my hands to gently lift at the more crisp side: in one gentle, confident movement, flip the crêpe. Cook just 10-15 seconds in the second side, then slide the crêpe from the pan into a tea towel to keep the stack warm as you cook the remainder.

10. Fold two crêpes per plate, then dollop with maple whipped cream. Spoon the rhubarb on top and serve with freshly cracked black pepper.