I think these blintzes, oozing with melted mascarpone and goat cheese, are absolutely sinful. The blintz originated in the Ukraine – it’s a tender, thin crepe or pancake that is rolled around a sweet or savoury filling and fried in oil. The blintz can be made with any flour. Use beets, from a jar, that have been preserved in water, vinegar and sugar but no pickling spices. Yield is 10 blintzes.
ingredients
Blintz Batter
Beet Glaze
Mushroom Stuffing
Assembly
directions
Slightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk in water, milk, salt and sugar.
Sift flour and baking powder and stir into liquid mixture.
The batter should resemble thick whipping cream.
Stir in the melted butter.
Let batter sit for half and hour or until it comes to room temperature and the bubbles settle.
Lightly butter an 8-inch nonstick skillet on medium heat.
Add 3 to 4 tbsp. batter and swirl to coat bottom of skillet.
Cook until bottom is set.
Flip blintz and cook another 30 seconds.
Repeat with remaining batter.
You should have enough batter to make about 10 blintzes.
Put the beets, lemon juice and some water in a food processor and puree until smooth, adding more water if necessary.
Season with salt and pepper.
Strain the beet puree into a small saucepan and simmer for a few minutes on low heat until smooth.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir the butter into the beet puree.
Soak porcini mushrooms in boiling water for 20 minutes.
Remove the mushrooms and chop finely.
Strain the soaking liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve and reserve 3 tbsp of the mushroom soaking liquid.
Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium-low heat and caramelize shallots, garlic and leek until golden and soft, about 8 minutes.
Add the porcini and the cremini mushrooms and cook until the cremini have released their juices, about 4 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat up to medium, and deglaze the pan with lemon juice, vermouth, and the 3 tbsp. soaking liquid until reduced to a syrup, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Sprinkle with the tarragon and parsley.
In a large bowl combine mushroom mixture and the mascarpone and add the goat cheese.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon 2 heaping tbsp. mushroom mixture along the edge of each blintz.
Roll the blintz over the filling.
Fold the sides in toward the middle.
Fold the blintz into a flat rectangle.
Heat 1 tbsp. butter in a large nonstick pan.
In 2 batches, fry the blintzes until golden, about 2 minutes per side, adding more butter to the pan when necessary.
Serve the blintzes with a dollop of sour cream, the Beet Glaze and some parsley sprinkled on top.