Thursday, October 14, 2004
Crepes With Chicken, Pears and Herbs de Provence
Did you know Trader Joes sells really decent pre-made crepes? I love crepes in their many guises. One thing people don't do very often is use them for a savory dish such as this. I like to use Poire William for this instead of wine, Herbs de Provence (a mixture of dried herbs that includes lavender.) and a lot of fresh pepper. With pears in season, yet the weather (here at least) still warm, this is a perfect dish.
4 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large firm pears, peeled, seeded and chopped into a medium dice
¼ cup white wine or Pear William
½ cup chicken stock
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1 heaping teaspoon herbs de Provence
4 large crepes
Black pepper, 4 sprigs of lavender (0r any fresh herb)
Optional Garnish: Blanched green onions
In a sauté pan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and sauté a few moments before adding the pear. When the chicken is ready, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Allow the chicken to cool a minute or two and then dice.
With the pear still in the pan, turn the heat to high and add the wine (or Pear William) and stock and reduce by 1/2. Reduce the heat and add the herbs and cream. Stir to combine. When the cream starts to bubble, remove the pan from the heat. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt. Add the chicken back to the sauce.
Using a slotted spoon, divide the chicken between the crêpes, roll like a burrito. Pour the remaining sauce on the plates and place the crepe on top. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and a sprig of lavender.
Alternatively, you can make the crepes into small bundles and tie off with the blanched green onions. Harder to do, but a great presentation. Plus, you can change the pears to apples, include some diced shallot or fennel and maybe add some canellini beans to the plate before adding the sauce.
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Oh wow, how much do I want the
Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America
SIGH.
Elmer Doolin was so inspired by his frito pie lunch one day
in San Antonio TX. that he paid the cook $100 for the recipe.
He experimented with mass producing the base of the dish
and started what became Frito-Lay in 1932.
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