As I was flipping through the March 2014 issue of Bon Appetit, I noticed a recipe for Buttery Rye Crepes. The crepes, made with rye flour, are cooked in butter and sugar, until the sugar caramelizes. The idea of a caramelized sugar rye crepe did not appeal to me at all. But the recipe did give me the idea for a more savory rye crepe. At this time of year, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of rye is corned beef, so it only seemed natural to pair the rye crepes with the salty meat.
Corned beef on rye bread is pretty typical for St. Patrick's Day, and switching out the bread for a light rye crepe fancies up the sandwich. To take it up another notch, I decided to pair the corned beef with Kerrygold Blarney Castle cheese, which has gouda-like notes. In place of the usual cabbage accompaniment to corned beef, I went with sautéed brussels sprouts for their festive green color, more crisp texture, and nice browning. A little whole-grain mustard was all I needed to tie the components together.
Enjoy these elegant, festive crepes as a light lunch, and whatever you do, please don't serve them with green beer! After one bite of these, those days of waiting in long lines at a pub, eating cold corned beef on hard bread, and washing it down with green beer will be long gone.
Corned Beef On Rye Crepes
Serving corned beef on rye crepes takes the traditional idea of the corned beef on rye sandwich
and lightens it up with a thin crepe and sautéed brussels sprouts. A little cheese and
whole-grain mustard add tons of flavor.
and lightens it up with a thin crepe and sautéed brussels sprouts. A little cheese and
whole-grain mustard add tons of flavor.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: None
Yield: 8 corned beef on rye crepes
Ingredients
Rye crepes (recipe below), rewarmed if desired
Thinly sliced Kerrygold Blarney Castle cheese
Thinly sliced corned beef (deli is fine)
Whole-grain mustard
Sautéed brussels sprouts
Preparation
Lay 1 crepe in front of you. Cover the bottom half with slices of cheese and layer slices of corned beef on top of the cheese.
Smear a little whole grain mustard over the corned beef.
Scatter some brussels sprouts on top. Fold the top half of the crepe over the filling. Then cut the crepe in half.
Repeat layering with remaining crepes, cheese, corned beef, mustard, and brussels sprouts. Serve.
Rye Crepes
(adapted from Bon Appetit)
These rye crepes make the perfect light stand-in for rye bread in a corned beef sandwich.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 rye crepes
Ingredients
2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup rye flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons Kerrygold unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon softened unsalted butter
Preparation
Cut 7 pieces of parchment paper and set aside to place between crepes as they finish cooking.
Process eggs and yolk, buttermilk, and milk in a food processor until smooth. Add rye flour, all-purpose flour, and salt and continue to process until combined. With the processor running, slowly pour in the melted butter. Set fine-mesh strainer over a bowl or large measuring cup and pour the batter through the strainer.
Heat the softened butter in a crepe pan over medium heat. Once the butter starts to foam, using a paper towel, wipe out the excess butter. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the crepe pan and quickly swirl to coat the pan. Cook the crepe until golden brown on bottom, 1 to 2 minutes (top will start to look dry). Using a rubber spatula, loosen the edges of the crepe and flip it. Cook the crepe until the bottom is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper.
Repeat with the remaining batter and stack the crepes with parchment paper between them as they finish cooking.
These corned beef on rye crepes would make a great St. Patrick's Day lunch!
What do you usually eat on St. Patrick's Day?