serves
4
prep
15 minutes
cook
45 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
4
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
45
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
"For the recipe, I have used mamma Lina's palacinche recipe, which is slightly sweet and fragrant from the inclusion of orange and lemon zest in the batter. I use blood oranges for this recipe, which are less sweet and a deep red colour, but feel free to use regular oranges."
Ingredients
- 900 g pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 200 ml freshly squeezed orange juice, ideally from blood oranges
- 100 ml white rum
- 80 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 8 Lina's crepes, warmed (recipe below)
- vanilla ice cream, to serve
Lina's crepes
Makes 8
- 2 eggs
- 40 g caster sugar
- zest of ½ small orange
- zest of ½ small lemon
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk
- 30 ml white wine (sweeter is better)
- 120 g plain flour
- sea salt
- 10–15 g unsalted butter
Serves 4 generously.
Resting time: 30 minutes
Instructions
- To make the crepes, hand-whisk the eggs with the sugar until well combined. Next add the zests, the milk and the wine and whisk again for about a minute.
- Place the flour and a good pinch of salt in a large bowl. Pour in about half the liquid, whisking as you go, then pour in the rest of the liquid and whisk until smooth. Set aside for about 30 minutes in a cool spot.
- Place a 21–23 cm non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the butter and swirl it around the pan to melt. Add a generous 60 ml (¼ cup) of batter to the pan, swirling it quickly so it evenly coats the surface, with just a small space at the edge so you can lift it up when you need to flip it over.
- It should take about 1 minute for the crepe to turn golden and the edge to lift slightly. Flip it over using a spatula or tongs and continue to cook for 30–40 seconds until cooked through. Place on a warmed plate, covered if needed, and repeat with the remaining batter, adding a bit more butter when needed, but you shouldn't need a lot if the pan is non-stick.
- If using frozen cherries, let them thaw. Place the cherries, orange juice, rum, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the liquid comes to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove the cherries with a slotted spoon and place in a strainer to remove the excess liquid (collect this and put it back in your saucepan).
- Continue cooking the collected liquid at a simmer until it reduces and thickens, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and remove the cinnamon sticks.
- Distribute the drained cherries evenly on one edge of the slightly warmed crepes, reserving a few for garnish. Roll each crepe up into a cigar that wraps around the cherries.
- Drizzle on the syrup, top with ice cream and garnish with the reserved cherries. Serve immediately.
Note
• The crepes can easily be made 24 hours in advance and kept covered in the fridge. To reheat, stack five crepes on a plate, cover loosely with baking paper and microwave for about 1 minute, until warmed through.
Istria: Recipes and stories from the hidden heart of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia by Paola Bacchia, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $55.00). Photography by Paola Bacchia.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
"For the recipe, I have used mamma Lina's palacinche recipe, which is slightly sweet and fragrant from the inclusion of orange and lemon zest in the batter. I use blood oranges for this recipe, which are less sweet and a deep red colour, but feel free to use regular oranges."
