Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello

Crespelli "Short Stacks" with Shredded Chicken and Balsamic BBQ Sauce

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  • Level: Advanced
  • Total: 41 min
  • Prep: 1 min
  • Cook: 40 min
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the sauce:

For the chicken:

For the crepes:

For the slaw:

Directions

  1. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and saute until it is golden. Whisk in the ketchup, vinegar, honey, soy sauce, and espresso. Simmer gently for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and stir in orange zest.
  2. You should have about 2 cups of sauce. Reserve a few tablespoons of sauce for serving. Mix the shredded chicken into the remaining sauce. Allow to cool, then cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or set aside until you are ready to assemble.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  4. Prepare the crepe batter: In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until well combined. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and let it bubble and foam. Continue to cook until the butter turns light brown, then whisk the butter into the milk and egg mixture. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, scallions, salt, and pepper. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture, whisking to prevent lumps. Do not overwork the batter.
  5. The batter should just coat the back of a spoon. If it seems too thick, whisk in a little milk or water. You should have about 2 cups of batter. Cook the crepes right away, or cover the batter and refrigerate for as long 24 hours.
  6. Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Add 1/4 cup of batter to the skillet. Remove the skillet from the heat and tilt it to evenly coat the bottom with the batter. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook until the underside is lightly browned, 50 to 60 seconds. Using a spatula or your fingertips, carefully turn the crepe over and cook on the second side for 10 to 15 seconds. Set the cooked crepe aside on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 8 crepes total.
  7. Lightly spray the bottom of 2 (10-inch) pie plates with oil. Stack 2 crepes in the bottom of each plate. Spread a single layer of chicken over each stack of crepes and set 1 more crepe over each layer of chicken. Spread another layer of chicken on top. Finish the stacks with 1 more crepe on top of each. Cover each plate with aluminum foil. Bake until warm, 30 to 40 minutes.
  8. Meanwhile, make the slaw. Quarter and core the apple. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, slice the apple as thinly as possible into matchstick-size pieces. Place the apples in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Add the cabbage, scallions, oil, salt, and pepper and mix well. Makes about 8 cups slaw.
  9. When the crepe stacks are warm, remove the foil and invert the pie plates onto a cutting board. Cut each stack into quarters. Place a wedge on each serving plate. Arrange a bundle of the slaw beside each wedge. Drizzle some of the reserved sauce over each plate and serve right away.