Roasted peppers in poppy seed crepes recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups (12 ounces) whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• About 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) olive oil

• 1 pound whole red and yellow bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) olive oil
• 2 tablespoons slivered shallots
• 1 garlic clove, slivered
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, perhaps 2 tablespoons each basil, tarragon, and chives
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated Gruyére cheese

• 2 handfuls arugula or spinach or pok choi leaves
• ¼ cup fresh tarragon, fennel, or dill sprigs
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper
• Shaved fennel slices

To Prepare the Crepe Batter
1. Puree the flour, milk, egg, yolk, butter, salt, and pepper in a blender.
2. Pour mixture into a large spouted bowl or other bowl, and mix in the chives, poppy seeds, and lemon zest.
3. Refrigerate the mixture covered for at least 30 minutes. The batter should be very pourable, with a consistency between heavy cream and buttermilk. Add a bit of water if needed to get the proper consistency.
To Cook the Crepes
4. Warm a 7- or 8-inch crepe pan or similar sauté pan over medium-high heat, and brush lightly with oil.
5. Pour in 3–4 tablespoons of batter, just enough to thinly coat the pan. Quickly swirl the batter around to cover the pan evenly. Cook the crepe until the surface is no longer shiny and the edges begin to dry, 45–60 seconds.
6. Loosen the crepe with a table knife or small spatula and flip it over. Cook another 30–45 seconds and slide the crepe from the pan. Repeat with remaining batter and oil, stacking the crepes on top of each other.
To Prepare the Filling
7. First, roast the whole peppers over an asador or other stovetop grill, or directly over a stovetop burner. Blacken the skin of the peppers, turning on all sides to roast evenly.
8. Transfer the peppers to a plastic bag and let them steam until cool enough to handle.
9. Using your fingers and a few paper towels or a clean dish towel, pull or rub off and discard the blackened skin.
10. Slice the peppers into thin ribbons, saving any of the juices.
11. Warm the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Stir in the shallots and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, until they have begun to soften.
12. Mix in the bell peppers and juice and simmer the mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated. The peppers, however, should still be moist.
13. Stir in the herbs and heat through, then season with salt and pepper and mix in the cheese.
Putting it All Together
14. Place a crepe on a work surface and spoon ¼ of the filling down the center of it. Roll the crepe up, trim off the ragged ends, and slice it in half. Arrange the 2 sections on a plate, 1 laying down and the other standing, leaning on it. Repeat with the remaining crepes on 3 other plates.
15. Toss the arugula and herbs together with just enough oil to make it glisten, then sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Arrange the herb salad over the 2 sections of crepe. Lean a couple of fennel slices alongside the crepe too.
16. Dribble a bit of extra-virgin olive oil over the crepes and fennel slices. Alternatively, all the crepes can be arranged with the salad topping and fennel slices on a large plate or platter. Serve.