Buckwheat Crepes with Egg & Smoked Salmon

Ingredients

Crepes:

1 cup / 250 ml

Naturegg Simply Egg Whites, well shaken

1 cup / 250 ml

whole milk

3 tbsp / 45 ml

melted butter, plus extra for pan as needed

1 tsp / 5 ml

maple syrup

1/4 tsp / 1 ml

salt

1 1/4 cup / 160 mg

buckwheat flour

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Filling:

8 oz / 250 g

cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp / 30 ml

minced red onion

1 tbsp / 15 ml

each finely chopped capers and finely grated lemon zest

8

Naturegg Omega 3 Large Eggs

Salt and pepper (optional, to taste)

4 oz / 125 g

smoked salmon, torn into bite-sized pieces

Fresh herbs such as chives, parsley leaves and/or dill sprigs

Directions

1. Crepes: Whisk egg whites with milk, butter, maple syrup and salt until well combined; whisk in buckwheat flour until batter is smooth. Rest for 30 minutes. (The batter can be held, covered, in the refrigerator overnight; bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before making crepes).

2. Preheat a 10-inch/25 cm crepe pan over medium heat. Lightly brush pan with butter using a silicone pastry brush if needed.

3. Add 1/3 cup batter to the center of the pan; lift pan off the heat, tilting and swirling to create a round that almost reaches to the edges of the pan. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side; loosen edges with a spatula, flip and cook for 30 seconds on the second side. Repeat with remaining batter to make 8 crepes. Stack prepared crepes on a plate and cover with plastic wrap to keep them pliable.

4. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C); arrange racks on the bottom and middle of the oven.

5. Filling: Blend cream cheese with red onion, capers and lemon zest.

6. Arrange 4 crepes on a large, parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Spread 2 tbsp/30 ml cream cheese in the center of each crepe, making a ‘nest’ with a small rim to help the egg stay in place. Carefully crack an egg into each cream cheese ‘nest’. Fold in the four sides to make a square, using the cream cheese to help the sides to stick and leaving the yolk exposed.

7. Repeat with remaining crepes, cream cheese mixture and eggs using a second large baking sheet.

8. Bake, rotating pans once, for 8 to 10 minutes or until yolks are runny and whites are almost set. Remove from the oven and carefully refold any sides that may have opened during baking; let stand for 3 to 5 minutes to finish cooking. Garnish crepes with slices of smoked salmon and fresh herbs.

Tips

1. Buckwheat is a pseudo grain, high in fibre and gluten free. You can often find it in with other gluten-free ingredients in the natural food aisle, or with the alternative flours in the baking sections of most supermarkets.

2. If buckwheat flour is hard to find or you are not concerned about gluten, make these using wheat flour by substituting the buckwheat flour with an equal amount of whole grain spelt flour or with a mixture of 3/4 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour.

3. Prepare batter in a blender or food processor if preferred. Be sure to rest for at least 30 minutes to avoid air bubbles.

4. Instead of preparing the whole batch in the oven, individual crepes can be ‘made-to-order’ by filling with the cream cheese mixture and topping with your favourite style of fried egg and the garnishes.