This is something I ordered from Paddington Pancake the other day. I was very, very hungry as I didn’t have any breakfast or lunch that day and it was already 2 pm. I knew that pancake is not going to fill me as I was very, very famished and needed meat.
So, I was pleasantly surprised to find lamb pie on the menu. I ordered one and this is what I got. (I know the photo colour looks a bit off. 😛 ) It is actually crepes, lamb stew and mashed potato. A rather nice combination because the crepe soaked up the gravy from the lamb stew which was piping hot. There was a huge blob of mashed potato hidden underneath as well.
I do not know how to make crepe yet but I am sure it is not too hard to prepare. So, if you have a dinner party next time, try this out. You can get frozen crepes from the supermarket frozen section. Make some lamb stew in advance and use instant mash potatoes and you are good to go. I am sure your guests will be impressed. (You can find my lamb shank recipe useful.)
I like the photo of this herbed tomato which I didn’t touch. I hate tomatoes done this way. 😛 I hope Paddington Pancake doesn’t mind I ‘steal’ their idea. But seriously, I like their innovative ideas and menus. You can save all the hassle and get over to Paddington Pancake and order their lamb pie which costs less than RM20, I think.
There are many crepe recipes available but for the most part crepes are easy, because they are just the flour/milk/eggs base for making pancakes without any leavening.
My favorite slightly sweet crepe batter uses 4 eggs, 1 cup flour, 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of melted butter (add a touch of salt if your butter is unsalted) and a spoonful of sugar, then add milk until the batter is fully liquid. Heat up your skillet nice and hot, then drop a ladle of batter in the middle and swirl it around by tilting and rolling the pan until the batter stops moving. (the French actually use a squeegee or scraper to spread the batter instead, but it really doesn’t make a difference). Let it cook until solid and slightly brown, then flip and cook until brown on the raised parts of the other side.
However, you will mess up the first crepe in the batch. It always happens because the pan needs proper even heat and lubrication before crepes will cook properly. After that they should come out just fine.
IF you want a more savory crepe, you can remove the sugar and replace some of the milk with beer (it may make the crepe a little fluffier, too). Also, you can add finely chopped herbs.