Crespelle alla Fiorentina

So, something uniquely from Florence. Well, there is always that monster piece of meat, the Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a 2-inch thick piece of T-bone, ideally from the Chianina breed and very young, BBQed on charcoal de rigueur, served rare to medium-rare, with salt as the only seasoning....but I am not a big steak lover (at all), so here is something from nonna's (look it up) kitchen. A thin crepe filled with ricotta, spinach, folded, covered with Bechamel, some tomato sauce, grated Pecorino cheese and baked till golden brown. Yum! What could be better.

RECIPE: Crespelle alla Fiorentina (www.theflorentine.net)

Serves four

For the batter:

150 gr of flour

300 ml milk

40 gr of butter, melted

2 eggs

Pinch of salt

For the filling:

1 egg

250 gr of ricotta

400 gr of blanched spinach

For the béchamel sauce:

500 ml milk

50 gr of butter

50 gr of flour

Salt and pepper

To finish:

3 or 4 heaped tablespoons of tomato puree (passata)

Grated pecorino (or parmesan) cheese

Olive oil for greasing

Method:

For the crespelle, sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the eggs, mixing well with a whisk or mixer, then the milk and finally the melted butter, incorporating gently. Season with a pinch of salt. The mixture should be fluid (it should run off a spoon like oil) and without lumps. If it is too dense, you can add a little water or some more milk; this will depend on the size of your eggs. Set aside; ideally the batter should rest for about 30 minutes before using.

Heat a non-stick, lightly greased pan to medium heat and pour a ¼ cup or ladle-full of the crespelle batter into the centre of the pan, swirling to cover. When the top begins to look dry, gently flip with a spatula and allow to cook for 10 seconds or so more. They don’t need to brown; they should remain soft. Set aside until all the crespelle are done (this mixture should make eight crespelle).

For the béchamel, add the butter to a saucepan over low heat and when just melted, add the flour and mix until smooth. Carefully cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk until very smooth and bring to a boil, whisking continuously. Cook for 10 minutes or until thickened (the sauce should coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat and season with salt, pepper and if desired, a little nutmeg. Set aside.

For the ricotta filling, take the freshly blanched, drained and squeezed spinach (cooked quickly in boiling water, then rinsed in cold water to stop the cooking process), chop finely and place in a bowl with the ricotta, egg and grated cheese and mix to combine.

Place a heaped tablespoon of ricotta filling on a crespella, fold in half, then in quarters and place, slightly overlapping, in a greased oven proof dish (alternatively you can roll them up like a cigar). Spoon over the besciamella sauce and ‘stain’ the top with a few decorative splashes of tomato puree. Sprinkle over a handful of grated pecorino and place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.