Black Forest Ham and Béchamel Crepe Torte {Cookbook Club}

I should preface this post with a full disclosure: I said “this is the worst recipe I’ve ever made” no less than 60 times while making this torte.  And really, it’s right up there.  Not the final product; in that department it was a relative hit.  This recipes is just way too high maintenance for the Messy Kitchen. Even with a sous chef (or maybe because of my sous chef), this torte invoked words my mom wouldn’t be proud of, left no less than two different dried floury substances stuck to cupboards, walls and possibly the ceiling and made me late for the event for which I was making it.

It’s actually kind of a funny story, in hindsight.  Full disclosures #2: part of my frustration was due to my own poor planning.  I broke cardinal cooking rule #1: I didn’t read through my recipe before starting.  Can you really blame me though, when components of this recipe were on four different pages of my cookbook?  Seriously.  Turns out you have to let the crepe batter stand for 30 minutes, the instructions involve a crepe pan, and you have to let the creme fraiche sit over night.  Wayyy too high maintenance for this Messy Kitchen.

Anyways, two hours before an event is too late to change your mind about what you’re going to make when you have to select between four brunch options in a specific cookbook and don’t happen to have chicken liver and blueberries on hand.  So I recruited a sous chef and set out to start this wretched recipe.  Full disclosure #3:  sous chef and I made a lot of mistakes. First, sous chef misheard “1/4 teaspoon” of salt as “4 teaspoons” and it wasn’t until he was adding the second that I caught him (can I just say,  thank goodness I did?).  So we started over.  Next, as I’m adding the last egg to the chute of the running processor (and sous chef is commenting on how impressively adept I am at this whole process) I drop the entire egg in.  I’m not saying I meant to add the egg white and added the yolk… I’m saying I dropped the shelled egg into the running food processor.  Well, we’re almost out of time and all-purpose flour, so guess we’re going to be walking on egg shells with this dish.  Next, sous chef mixes the cream for the cream fraiche (a garnish) into the cheese he’s just got done grating (for the torte) instead of in a separate bowl, and while dealing with this fiasco I burn the roux for the bechamel sauce which contains the last few tablespoons of my all-purpose flour.

I’m going to stop now, because really this is just painful right?  I’ll finish with these thoughts

1. It tasted pretty good, if you don’t mind crunching on egg shells.
2. I would bet money that this is the longest story you’ve ever read about a crepe torte.
3. If you ever have to pick a brunch item to make from the Silver Palette Cookbook, go with the minted fruit salad.  It’s not a copout.

Black Forest Ham and Béchamel Crepe Torte

From Silver Palette Cookbook 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Béchamel Sauce (see below)
• 1.5 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 16 Buckwheat Crepes (see below)
• 32 round slices of Black Forest ham
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Cup Creme Fraiche (see below)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Warm the béchamel sauce in a heavy saucepan over low heat until just hot.  Add the cheese and whisk until smooth.  Season with black pepper.
3. On a round ovenproof platter, spread 1/4 cup of the béchamel sauce in a crepe-size circle.  Place a crepe on the sauce and cover with 2 slices of ham side by side, overlapping in the center. Dot with bits of butter.
4. Continue to layer crepe, ham, butter until all the crepes and hams are used, ending with a crepe.  Pour the remaining béchamel sauce over the torte.
5. Bake until browned and bubbling, 20 minutes.
6. To serve, cut into wedges.

Serves 6-8

For the Crepes

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• Oil for cooking

1. Warm the milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter melts.  Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Pour both flours into a food processor.  Add the salt and process for a second to blend.
3. With the motor running, pour in the milk and butter mixture and then drop in the eggs; process until just blended and let stand for 30 minutes.
4. Brush your pan or griddle with a paper towel dipped in oil.  Set over medium heat.  Pour 1/4 cut of matter into the pan and immediately spread into a 7″ circle using the back of a wooden spatula.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, flip and cook another minute. Set aside on a plate and repeat with remaining batter.

Makes 16 crepes

For the Béchamel sauce

• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Nutmeg, to taste

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat.  Sprinkle in the flour and cook gently, stirring almost constantly for five minutes care not to let the mixture brown.
2. Meanwhile, bring the milk to a boil.  When the milk reaches a boil, remove the butter and flour mixture from heat and pour in the boiling milk all at once.  As the mixture boils, beat it vigorously with a whisk.
3. When bubbling stops, return the pan to medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Makes 2 Cups

For the Creme Fraiche

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup sour cream

1. Whisk the heavy cream and sour cream together in a bowl.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in the kitchen or in a reasonably warm spot overnight, or until thickened.
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Makes 2 Cups

Johanna