In my constant effort to use up discard from my sourdough starter, I decided I needed to make crepes--again. This time, I opted for crepes using a rye discard, because the starter I needed to feed is rye-based. I also was curious to see how the rye crepes would taste. Really good. They are tender and eggy with a pleasant yeasty taste. A filling of sweet, spicy apple butter and tangy, creamy goat cheese worked well to complement the rye. I made the crepes in advance and refrigerated them until I was ready to fill them, which took only a few minutes. Then I popped the filled crepes in the oven for about 10 minutes. I used a ready-made caramel to drizzle on top of the crepes, then sprinkled on some chopped walnuts. A few minutes more in the oven toasted the walnuts and caused the caramel to sizzle and sink just a little into the crepes. Oozing with apple butter, goat cheese, and caramel and studded with buttery walnuts, the hot crepes make an incredible morning meal. Serve them with some maple-chicken sausages for a special brunch.
Sourdough Rye Crepes -- Makes 8-10
1 cup of discard/starter fed with 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup of rye flour
3 eggs
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 - 1 cup of low-fat milk
Let the discard/starter sit for 3-4 hours until it expands/bubbles. Then heat a 9-10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and spritz the skillet with olive oil. In a large measuring container (I use a quart Pyrex measure), mix the fed discard, eggs, oil, salt, and 3/4 cup of milk well. The mixture should be thinner than the usual pancake batter. If the batter seems too thick, try cooking one crepe and then add more milk to the batter if the crepe bakes up too thick. Pour about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter into the hot skillet. Pick up the pan and tilt it so that the batter spreads over the bottom of the pan evenly. Return the pan to the burner and let the crepe cook one to three minutes until the surface is no longer wet and shiny. Lift the edges of the crepe carefully and flip the crepe. Let it cook about 30 seconds and slide it onto a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, spritzing the pan with olive oil before adding more batter, stirring the batter periodically, and adding a little more milk if the batter becomes too thick.
To Assemble the Crepes
6 crepes
3/4 cup of apple butter
1/2 cup of crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup of caramel sauce, heated until it's pourable
1/4 cup of walnuts
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spritz an oven-proof dish large enough to hold the crepes with non-stick cooking spray. Lay the crepes out on a piece of waxed paper and divide the apple butter among them. Spread the apple butter out to about 1/2-inch from the edge of each crepe. Divide the goat cheese among the crepes, sprinkling it evenly over the apple butter. Roll up the crepes and place them seam-side down in the prepared dish. Bake the crepes until they're hot--about 10 minutes. Drizzle some of the caramel over each crepe and then sprinkle each crepe with walnuts. Pop the crepes back in the oven for a few more minutes until the caramel bubbles and the walnuts are hot.
