Recipe: Crepes with Goat Cheese and Spinach (Crepes aux Epinards au Chevre)

CREPES WITH GOAT CHEESE AND SPINACH
(CREPES AUX EPINARDS AU CHEVRE)

"Crepes are just thin pancakes, made from a simple batter of eggs, milk, flour, and oil. They are eaten on the streets of Paris as a snack, in creperies as main courses and desserts, and in bistros as a first course or dessert, especially in the north."

FOR THE CREPES:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/3 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons oil or melted butter
Pinch of salt
Oil for coating pan
FOR THE FILLING:
2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed, or two 10-ounce packages thawed frozen spinach
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons heavy cream or sour cream
6 ounces fresh white goat cheese, crumbled

TO MAKE THE CREPES:
Whisk together all of the crepe ingredients except the oil for the pan, or puree ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. If you are using a blender or processor, let the batter sit for 30 minutes to relax the gluten in the flour.

Heat a 9-inch crepe pan over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add a few drops of oil to the pan and swirl until it coats the entire pan, then ladle in 3 to 4 tablespoons of the batter. Swirl the batter to coat the pan, then pour the excess back into the rest of the batter.

Cook until the batter is firm on top and lightly browned on the bottom, then turn and cook a few moments on the second side. Turn out onto the plate.

Repeat, stacking the crepes as they cook. Wrap in foil and keep warm in the oven while preparing the goat cheese and spinach filling.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Cook the fresh spinach in boiling water until just tender. Drain, reserving the spinach water for soups or sauces. (If using frozen, do not cook.) Squeeze the spinach to extract the excess liquid; save this, as well.

In a heavy, non-reactive saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the garlic in the olive oil until it just begins to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, then stir in the green onions and the cream.

Cook over high heat for about 5 to 10 minutes to thicken the cream. You do not want to overcook the spinach, so if it remains very watery, pour off the liquid, boil to reduce it, and then recombine with the spinach.

Stir in the goat cheese and heat through. Taste for seasoning.

TO SERVE:
Fill the crepes with the warm filling. Eat right away, or dot with butter and bake until they sizzle.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
The crepes (without filling) can be made ahead of time, if desired. To keep, wrap the crepes in plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Makes about 12 (9-inch) crepes
Source: The Vegetarian Bistro: 250 Authentic French Regional Recipes by Marlena Spieler