Pancakes with Onions & Apples in Balsamic Vinegar /Crepes di Cipolle e Mele all'Aceto

SERVES 4

Everyone loves pancakes but you probably never had them with balsamic vinegar! This delicious recipe comes from the Picci Restaurant near Cavriago in Reggio Emilia, where I first enjoyed them.

Ingredients

  • PANCAKE BATTER
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 large egg yolk, beaten
  • 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • FILLING
  • 2 pounds red onions, sliced
  • 1 quart milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium apple, cored, peeled and baked
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
  • 2/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 1 medium apple, cored and peeled
  • 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

Directions

  1. Spray or grease an 11 by 7-inch baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
  2. Sift the flour and salt together into a medium size bowl. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the eggs, egg yolk, butter, and cheese. Whisk until the batter is smooth and the consistency of pancake batter. If it seems too thin, add a little more flour, one tablespoon at a time. If it is too thick, thin it down with a little milk.
  3. Lightly butter a 6 or 8-inch crepe pan or non-stick sauté pan. Get the pan hot over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup of the batter to the pan and swirl it to evenly coat the pan. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes or just until the edges begin to brown. Flip the pancake over and cook the other side. Transfer the pancake to a sheet of wax paper. Repeat until all the batter is used, stacking the pancakes between sheets of wax paper as you make them. Lightly butter the pan every so often if need be to prevent the batter from sticking. Set aside or make ahead and freeze, well wrapped in aluminum foil.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  5. Soak the onions in the milk for several hours. Drain and dry the onions and cook them in the butter in a sauté pan over low heat for about 30 minutes or until very soft and creamy. Stir in the baked apple, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.
  6. Sprinkle 8 pancakes with one tablespoon of the cheese. Divide and spread the onion mixture over the top of the cheese. Fold the pancake into quarters and place in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. Bake for 10 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile cut the remaining apple into thin slices and place them in a single layer in a large sauté pan. Add the remaining tablespoon of vinegar and cook quickly over a high heat for 1 minute.
  8. Remove the pancakes from the oven and place two of each of four plates to form a butterfly shape. Spoon a little of the apple and vinegar sauce over each dish and serve immediately.

This recipe was featured on Season 14 - Episode 1420.

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