Liver and spinach that kids will love: Spinach Crepes Bernoise

Dec 3, 2009 by Anna Migeon

Think it’d be nice if you could get your kids to eat liver? or spinach? How about both at once? Here’s an unusual, easy and delicious recipe that my kids have always loved. The key: pretend you have no interest in whether they eat them or not, but enjoy them yourself. Ask very casually if they want to try any. Do not urge them. If they are hungry and you do not press them, they are pretty likely to try it.

Spinach Crepes Bernoise

Spinach crepes:

3 C fresh spinach

3 C milk

2 ¼ C sifted flour (whole grain if desired, or mix of whole and white)

4-5 whole eggs

Pinch of salt (to taste)

Pinch of nutmeg (to taste)

6 T melted butter

(you might want to actually bump this up to 4 c of spinach and milk and so forth. There are never too many crepes. We eat them plain if we run out of filing.)

Place well-washed spinach in a saucepan and cook it gently, stirring and covering, until wilted. Drain it and when it is cool enough to handle, squeeze it into a ball between your hands until all the liquid is removed.
Place the cooked spinach in the blender. Add a little milk and puree until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining milk and the rest of the ingredients except the melted butter and blend at high speed.
Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the butter, and let the batter rest for at least two hours, or overnight.
To make the crepes, butter and heat a nonstick skillet. Pour some batter in and tilt the pan around to spread the batter thin. The first one never works right, but then they do. Cook until lightly brown and turn over. Stack them carefully on a plate.

Filling

4 T unsalted butter

6-8 chicken livers, cleaned and dried

Salt and large pinch of white pepper (or black)

½ lb mushrooms, cleaned and minced

4 T minced scallions

16 oz cream cheese (room temperature)

½ to 1 stick of butter (original would call for 2 sticks, but that’s too much)

4 t minced dill (optional, but I think essential)

1. In a heavy skillet, melt 2 T butter. Add the chicken livers and sauté until nicely browned on all sides. Season with salt and white pepper. When they are cool enough, mince them and place them in a mixing bowl.

2. Melt the remaining butter in the same skilled, add the mushrooms and scallions and cook until they are lightly browned. Season lightly with salt and pepper and add them to the livers.

3. Cream the cream cheese and dill together.

4. Blend the cream cheese with mushroom-and-liver mixture together.

Fill the crepes with the mixture, roll them up and place them in a baking dish. Pour a little melted butter over the crepes and heat them in the oven at 325° for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Perla Meyers’ excellent European-influenced The Seasonal Kitchen: A Return to Fresh Foods

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