CREPAS DE LANGOSTA A LA VAINILLA
CREPES FILLED WITH VANILLA-INFUSED LOBSTER

Courtesy of Chef in Residence, Agustin Gaytan

Ingredients:

• A 2 lb. lobster about 3/4 lb. meat
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 small white onion, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 vanilla bean, chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• crepes (recipe follows)
• hazelnut sauce (recipe follows)
• toasted hazelnut pieces

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

If using fresh live lobster bring eight quarts water to boil (salted with 6 teaspoons salt or to taste) over high heat. Immerse the lobster in boiling water and cook covered for about ten minutes. Remove from water and set aside to cool.

Remove the shell off the lobster tail and discard inedible portion. Cut the lobster in half lengthwise using poultry scissors, making sure to reserve the juices. Crack open the claws, remove flesh from the whole body and cut lobster meat into 1/2-inch thick slices.

In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and vanilla bean and sauté for for about 1 minute. Turn to high heat. Pour in the wine, reserved lobster juices (if any), salt and pepper. Cook mixture for about 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.

Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduce to half its original volume. It should be a rather thick stock. Strain the liquid and mix with lobster meat. Correct the seasonings and keep the mixture warm.

Fill each crepe with two generous tablespoons of the lobster mixture then roll the crepe, placing seam-side down. Brush a little melted butter over the top of the rolled crepes and bake in a 400¡ preheated oven for 5 minutes.

While the crepes are in the oven heat up the hazelnut sauce. Place two crepes in the center of a plate. Pour three tablespoons of hazelnut sauce over the top. Sprinkle some of the toasted hazelnut pieces and serve.

Makes approximately 12 crepes.

SALSA DE AVELLANA
HAZELNUT SAUCE

Yields about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, shelled
• 2 guajillo or New Mexico chiles
• 3 large tomatillos
• 1/2 small white onion
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• pinch of nutmeg to taste
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a dry skillet toast the hazelnuts over medium-high heat stirring constantly for about 5-7 minutes until fragrant and nuts start to darken. Cool and rub skins off in between the palms of your hands. It's okay if not all the hazelnuts lose their skins.

In the same dry skillet toast chiles on both sides for about 2 minutes, pressing them down with a spatula until they change color, puff up and become fragrant. Remove chiles immediately from skillet to avoid burning and set on a plate. Cool chiles. Protect your hands if you wish, then remove stems, seeds and membranes off chiles.

In the same dry skillet grill together tomatillos for 15 minutes, onion for about 12 minutes and garlic for about 5 minutes. Make sure to rotate ingredients often so that they grill evenly. When cool enough to handle remove husks off tomatillos.

Separate half of the hazelnuts. In a blender grind together the hazelnuts, chiles, tomatillos, onion, garlic, salt and water to a smooth sauce.

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat and saute the hazelnut sauce, increasing the heat to medium-high. Add nutmeg and salt. Continue to cook stirring for about 3 minutes. Pour in cream; reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract.

Using a wooden roller on a flat surface break the rest of the hazelnuts into little pieces and reserve for sprinkling on top of crepes covered with hazelnut sauce.

CREPES

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon Mexican vanilla extract
• additional butter or oil

Instructions:

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the eggs until they're blended. Add the oil and beat well. Add the milk and continue stirring for 1 minute. Incorporate the rest of the ingredients and beat for an additional minute. Let rest for at least 15 minutes.

To make the crepes, heat lightly buttered or oiled crepe pan or sloping sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pour about 1/4 cup (2 oz.) of the crepe batter so that it coats the bottom of the pan. Move the pan in a circular motion about 3 times until the batter even coats the bottom of the pan.

Cook the crepe on 1 side 45 seconds to a minute. Turn using a thin spatula or your fingers (the edges of the crepe will be dry and pull away from the sides of the pan. Cook another 45 seconds to 1 minute, then set aside on a dish. Repeat until the batter is used up, lightly greasing the pan only if it becomes too dry. Lower the heat if the crepe pan starts to smoke or the crepes brown too quickly.

If you are making the crepes in advance, as each crepe cools, place it on a piece of waxed paper and then stack crepes on a plate. Cover when completely cool. Crepes can be made 1 day in advance and then brought to room temperature or warmed slightly before filling.