Smoked Salmon Crepes

       
     Recently I posted a recipe for making your own smoked salmon at home. Here is a great way to enjoy your homemade smoked salmon. These crepes are so tasty, you will want to try them even if you don't smoke your own salmon. Served with a runny poached egg and maple syrup, this dish makes for a pretty luxurious brunch.

  Cooking a perfect poached egg can be tricky business, but I have a little chef's tip for you. Before putting the egg into the boiling water, let it sit in a cup of water mixed with vinegar for a couple of minutes first. The vinegar will start coagulating the egg white before you tip the eggs into the simmering water. The other advantage to this technique is that you can easily pour the egg into the hot water, so that the whites stay in place and form a perfect circle around the yolk. It is important that the water is not at a full boil, or the turbulence will knock the white off the yolk. To help the whites form a ball around the yolk, give the water a gentle stir first.

Start to finish: 20 minutes. Serves 4

Ingredients:

200g smoked salmon
4 eggs
1/4 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tbs vinegar
butter for coating the pan

crepe batter:

1 cup flour
1 tbs salt
1 1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
3 tbs melted butter

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients of the crepe batter except the flour. Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, make a well in the center and then gradually incorporate the wet ingredients. Gently whisk until the batter is smooth. For soft crepes, do not overwork the batter. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes in the fridge.

2. Heat a small amount of butter in a non-stick pan. Pour 1/4 cup of batter in the pan. Tilt the pan in circles to spread out the batter until it coats the whole pan. Cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat the process to make 7 more crepes.

3. Fill a pot with 4 inches of salted water, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat until it reaches a slow, steady simmer. Put a small amount of warm water in 4 separate cups or ramekins and then add a few drops of vinegar to each. Crack one egg into each cup and let sit for 2 minutes. Give the pot of water a gentle stir and then add the eggs one at a time. Let the eggs cook until the whites are solid, about 4 to 6 minutes.

4. Roll the crepes and then place two on each plate. Place 50g of smoked salmon one top of each pair of crepes and top with a poached egg. Drizzle with maple syrup and top with chopped chives.

Make ahead: The crepes can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge between layers of wax paper. To make the poached eggs in advance, poach them for one minute less and then transfer to ice water. Reheat the crepes in the oven and reheat the eggs in simmering water.