California Goat Cheese Crepes with Sweet Onion Sauce

To make the crepes:

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl; add egg, egg yolk and a little of the milk and stir to the consistency of smooth paste. Gradually add remaining milk and mix until smooth. Add salt and pepper, and 1 tablespoon of parsley and chives.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter until the butter foams and turns a very light brown color. Whisk this into the batter. Let the mixture stand for at least 2 hours.

Thin the batter with milk, if necessary, to the consistency of whipping cream.

Brush a 7 inch non-stick skillet or crepe pan with a thin film of olive oil and place over medium heat.

When hot, add about 3 tablespoons of batter and swirl to coat the pan. Cook until lightly golden, about 1 minute; then flip and cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Continue with remaining batter, stacking crepes between sheets of waxed paper.

To make the filling:

In a mixing bowl, mash the cheese with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until soft and smooth. Stir in the basil, 2 tablespoons of parsley, olives, and pepper.

To make the Sweet Onion Sauce:

In a heavy saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat, then add onion and meat. Cook uncovered, shaking the pan and stirring occasionally, until the meat and the onion are browned (about 20 minutes.)

Add the vermouth, stirring, to the meat and onions. Then add the stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil gently, skimming the surface often until sauce has reduced to a light syrupy consistency (about 30 minutes or longer.)

Remove the saucepan from the heat and swirl in 2 tablespoons of butter, bit by bit. Strain the resulting sauce and season with little bit salt and pepper.

To assemble:

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Use a narrow spatula or butter knife to spread 1 side of each crepe evenly with about 2 tablespoons filling. Fold each crepe into quarters, pressing neatly.

Blanch cucumber slices in boiling salted water for 1 minute then drain well. Arrange the stuffed crepes in a shallow baking pan, brushing lightly with olive oil and place them in the oven until heated through (about 5 minutes.) Arrange 2 crepes, overlapping slightly, on each of 4 heated serving plates. Arrange 3 cucumber slices in a fan pattern next to the crepes and garnish with finely slivered olives.

Warm the sauce. Spoon some sauce around the crepes, and serve.