Cornmeal Crepes With Ricotta And Ham Recipes

CORNMEAL CREPES WITH RICOTTA AND HAM

Steps:

• Make crêpes:
• Blend flour, cornmeal, cumin, salt, milk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter in a blender until smooth. Let batter stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Lightly brush a 10-inch nonstick skillet with butter and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir batter, then, holding skillet off heat, pour in 1/3 cup batter, immediately tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets before skillet is coated, reduce heat slightly for next crêpe.) Return skillet to heat and cook until just set and pale golden around edges, 10 to 15 seconds. Loosen edge of crêpe with a heatproof silicone spatula, then flip crêpe over carefully with your fingertips. Cook until underside is set, about 20 seconds more, and transfer crêpe to a plate. Make 11 more crêpes in same manner, brushing skillet lightly with butter for each and stacking crêpes on plate as cooked.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch (or 15- by 10-inch) shallow baking dish.
• Stir together ricotta, ham, egg, salt, and pepper. Put 1 crêpe, paler side up, on a work surface and spread 1 teaspoon pepper jelly in a horizontal line just below center of crêpe (toward end nearest you), leaving a 1-inch border on each side. Spoon 1/3 cup ricotta filling over jelly and fold in sides of crêpe over filling, then, beginning at bottom, roll up to enclose filling. Arrange crêpe, seam side down, in baking dish. Assemble 11 more crêpes in same manner, arranging them in 1 layer in baking dish.
• Bake, covered with foil, until filling is hot, about 30 minutes.
• Make topping just before serving:
• Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook white and pale green scallions, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add corn, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add scallion greens and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Spoon topping over crêpes.

APPLE CREPE WITH FRESH RICOTTA, ORANGE SAUCE AND BROWN BUTTER

Steps:

• For the crepes: Whisk together the sugar and eggs until pale, and then whisk in the milk until combined. Mix in the flour and salt until smooth. Whisk in the butter, cover and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• For the ricotta filling: Whisk together the ricotta, sugar and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the apple mixture: Combine the orange juice, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, allspice, cloves, apples and salt in a large saute pan over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are softened and the juices have thickened. Remove and let cool slightly.
• For cooking crepes: Place a 6-inch nonstick pan over medium heat and spray with nonstick spray or brush with butter. Once the pan is sizzling, slowly pour in enough batter to thinly cover the entire bottom, using a ladle. Quickly tilt and rotate the pan and cook until the bottom of the crepe is lightly browned, 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds. Flip the crepe, using your fingers or a spatula, and cook 30 seconds longer. Slide the crepe onto a wax-paper-lined plate, and then repeat with the rest of the batter.
• For the orange sauce and brown butter: Heat the orange juice in a small saute pan over medium heat and let reduce to a syrupy consistency. Cook the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat until it begins to turn a nutty brown color. Remove from the heat and whisk in the zest and salt. Reserve.
• Lay the crepes on a flat surface. Spoon some of the ricotta down the center of each crepe and roll. Plate 2 crepes each on large plates and top with some of the apple mixture, orange sauce and brown butter. Dust with confectioners' sugar and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

RICOTTA-FILLED CREPES WITH TANGERINE AND LEMON MARMALADE

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk together milk, vanilla, and eggs. Gradually add milk mixture to flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Whisk in melted butter. Strain through a fine sieve; discard lumps. Refrigerate batter for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Combine ricotta and zest. Lightly coat a 6-inch crepe pan or nonstick skillet with butter. Heat over medium heat until just starting to smoke. Remove from heat; pour 2 tablespoons batter into center. Swirl to cover bottom. Reduce heat to medium-low; return pan to heat. Cook until edges are golden and center is dry, about 45 seconds. Flip; cook for 45 seconds.
• Slide crepe onto an ovenproof plate; cover with foil, and transfer to oven. Repeat with remaining batter, coating pan with butter as needed.
• Fill each crepe with 2 to 3 tablespoons ricotta mixture. Fold into quarters to form a triangle. Make stacks of 3 crepes. Top with marmalade.

CHEESY POLENTA AND HAM GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until softened but not browned, stirring frequently.
• Add whipping cream and Parmesan cheese; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 2 to 4 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
• Arrange polenta slices, overlapping and layering if necessary, in bottom of sprayed baking dish. Top with ham and Swiss cheese. Pour sauce over top.
• Bake at 425°F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley.