Cornmeal Crepes with Strawberries and Clabbered Cream
About the recipe
We’ve given the French crepe a Southern makeover by replacing some of the flour with cornmeal. Your first crepe is more than likely to stick or otherwise produce a less than desirable result. This is perfectly normal, and all remaining crepes should work out fine.
Once a staple of the rural Southern larder, clabber was created by allowing unpasteurized milk to sour at room temperature, creating a thick, yogurt-like spread. Since raw milk is illegal to purchase in much of the United States, we can make a facsimile out of heavy cream and buttermilk. Once the mixture has “curdled” after sitting at room temperature for 48 hours, it will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks.
Serves: 4
Hands On Time: 1 hour and 0 minutes
Total Time: 49 hours and 0 minutes
Ingredients
Clabbered Cream
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons buttermilk
Macerated Strawberries
2 cups quartered and hulled strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cornmeal Crepes
1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
Instructions
To make the clabbered cream: In a large glass jar or other storage container, combine the cream and buttermilk and mix well. Seal the lid and let sit at room temperature until the mixture has thickened, about 48 hours. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.
To make the strawberries: In a medium bowl, combine all of ingredients. Let sit until the strawberries have softened and given off much of their liquid, about 1 hour.
To make the crepes: In a blender or food processor, puree all of the ingredients, except for the butter, until well combined. Add the butter and continue blending until completely smooth. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and spray liberally with non-stick oil spray. Pour 1/2 cup of the batter into the pan and swirl to completely coat the bottom with a thin layer of batter. Cook until the center is still slightly wet but the edges are firm, about 30 seconds. (Using a rubber spatula, test for doneness by gently lifting up the edges on all sides.) Flip and cook on the second side until the crepe can slide out of the pan with no resistance, about another 30 seconds. Transfer the crepe to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
To serve, fold the crepes into quarters and place two on each serving plate. Top with 1/4 cup of the strawberries and 2 tablespoons of the clabbered cream. Serve.