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Recipe by Ursula Ferrigno

Sea Bass Crepes (Crespelle Di Branzino)

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Dairy Dairy
Easy Easy
4-5 Servings
Allergens

I will never forget this light and fresh dish that I enjoyed on a trip to Verona with my father.

Ingredients

Crepes

  • 1 tablespoon Tuscanini Olive Oil

  • 1 large/US extra-large egg

  • 50 grams/1/3 cup Italian ’00’ flour

  • 150 grams/2/3 cup whole/full-fat milk

Filling

  • 200 grams/7 ounces fresh Datterini cherry tomatoes, halved

  • small bunch of fresh basil or fennel fronds

Béchamel Sauce (Besciamella)

  • 20 grams/1 and 1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 litre/4 cups milk or stock, warmed

  • 40 grams/1/4 cup Italian ‘00’ flour

  • 1 teaspoon finely grated nutmeg

Directions

For the Crepes

1.

In a bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the crêpes. Leave the batter to rest; the longer it is left, the better it will be.

2.

Evenly coat the base of a nonstick pan with a little olive oil. Heat the oil over a medium heat, then pour a small ladleful of batter into the center of the pan. Gently roll the pan until a thin layer of batter covers the surface. Cook until the underside is golden, then flip over and cook the other side. Stack the cooked crêpes on a warmed plate and set aside.

For the Filling

1.

In a large pan, heat the oil. Add the garlic and sea bass fillets to the pan and cook over a medium heat for two to three minutes. Pour in the wine and allow it to reduce a little. Add the tomatoes and basil or fennel, then simmer for about six to eight minutes until the fish is opaque. Season well then leave to cool. Using a handheld/immersion blender, purée the mixture to a coarse texture.

2.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius/180 degrees Celsius fan/ 400 degrees Fahrenheit/Gas 6.

3.

Spread a tablespoonful of the fish purée onto one of the crêpes. Loosely roll up the crêpe and place it in a buttered ovenproof dish. Repeat until all the crêpes are used up.

Prepare the Béchamel Sauce

1.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix in the flour, ensuring there are no lumps. Add the warm milk or broth and some salt, then slowly bring the mixture to the boil. Continue stirring until the sauce becomes thick and creamy. Taste to check the seasoning, adding more salt and nutmeg as needed.

Notes:

Makes about one litre/four cups. Besciamella is best made with Italian ‘00’ flour. The flour is so finely milled that it avoids the danger of lumps during mixing. It also has very low gluten levels and so makes a much lighter sauce.

To Finish

1.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the crêpes and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until golden.

About

From Cucina del Veneto: Delicious Recipes from Venice & Northeast Italy by Ursula Ferrigno, published by Ryland Peters & Small

Photographs by Clare Winfield © Ryland Peters & Small 2024

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Sea Bass Crepes (Crespelle Di Branzino)

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