Recipe for Starters 'Crêpes with Cheese - Crespelle Al Formaggi'

With fifteen restaurants, eight cookbooks and a host of television shows, including the ever-popular Iron Chef America, Mario Batali is one of the most recognized and respected chefs working in America today. Mario is also the author of eight cookbooks including Molto Gusto, which hit shelves last April. His most recent and ambitious project to date is Eataly – a 50,000 square foot culinary mecca in New York City’s Flatiron district.

Ingredients For the Batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch sea salt
2 cups whole milk

Preparation For the Batter:
lace the flour in a large bowl. Crack the eggs into the flour and whisk them in. Add the nutmeg and salt, then whisk in the milk. Strain the batter in a sieve to remove any lumps. Allow the batter to stand for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Ingredients For the Filling:
^ 2 1/2 cups fresh ricotta, drained in a strainer lined with cheesecloth for 30 minutes
^ 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, coarsely grated to yield 1/2 cup
^ 1 cup grated soft sheep’s milk cheese (such as Cacio di Roma, or a young provolone), plus extra for garnish
^ 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
^ 8 ounces sopressata (Italian dry cured salami), cut into thin matchsticks, a small handful reserved for garnish
^ Kosher salt, to taste
^ Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation For the Filling:
Combine the ricotta, mozzarella and sheep’s milk cheese in a bowl. Add olive oil and the salami and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients For the Crêpes:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, for cooking

Preparation For the Crêpes:
1. Preheat a nonstick crepe pan. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter in the pan and allow it to brown. Pour browned butter into crêpe batter.

2. Ladle a thin layer of batter to just cover the bottom of the hot pan. Turn down the heat as needed to avoid burning the crêpe.

3. As the crêpe sets (about 30 to 40 seconds), lift edges with an offset spatula or a butter knife to check color. When the bottom is golden-brown, flip the crêpe with tongs or a spatula and cook on the other side for 20 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all the batter has been used.

4. Fill each crêpe with 3 tablespoons of the cheese/salami filling. Gently fold, first in half then in half again (quarters). Arrange the crespelle, overlapping them slightly, on dish. Sprinkle with sliced salami and grated Cacio di Roma cheese.

This is a Starter recipe which was published in 'Martha Stewart Living Radio Thanks giving Hotline Recipes 2010 - p14'.