Mushroom Crêpe Cake

The mushroom crêpe cake is a sophisticated dish that combines the delicacy of crepes with the rustic flavor of mushrooms. Here’s the recipe with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

For the crêpes:

• 250 ml of milk
• 100 g of all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• A pinch of salt
• Butter for cooking the crêpes

For the filling:

• 500 g of mixed mushrooms (porcini, champignons, pioppini)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Chopped parsley
• 250 ml of béchamel sauce
• 150 g of grated cheese (parmesan or pecorino)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Start by preparing the crêpes: in a bowl, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Alternatively add the sifted flour and milk, stirring until the batter is smooth and lump-free. Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes.
2. In a non-stick pan, melt a knob of butter, pour in a ladle of batter and tilt the pan to evenly distribute the mixture. Cook the crêpe until the edges start to lift, then flip it and cook the other side. Repeat until all the batter is used.
3. For the filling, clean the mushrooms and slice them. In a pan, sauté the garlic in extra virgin olive oil, add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and cook until they are soft. Remove the garlic and stir in the chopped parsley at the end.
4. Grease a baking dish with butter and place a crêpe at the bottom. Cover with some mushrooms and a sprinkling of grated cheese, then pour over some béchamel sauce. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used, ending with a crêpe, béchamel, and a generous sprinkling of cheese.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for about 20 minutes, until the surface is golden and crispy.
6. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Trivia

The crêpe cake is a variation of the more classic lasagna, and represents an original way to serve crêpes. The dish lends itself to many variations; for example, you could add squeezed and sautéed spinach or crispy speck to introduce new flavors.