Eggplant crepes: A surprising twist on a Canadian classic

Crepes are a dish whose immense popularity worldwide is undeniable, even to the biggest skeptic. In kitchens across the globe, dozens—no, rather hundreds—of different varieties of pancakes are created. When the trend of serving them savoury reached Canada, chefs and cooks from all over the country took on the challenge and created many compositions whose taste surpasses even the well-known classics. I also decided to ride this wave, and I did it with the help of crepes with eggplant.

This interesting purple vegetable is not the first choice of Canadians during grocery shopping, but I believe it's worth changing that. The eggplant is a tasty and healthy vegetable that works wonderfully as a filling for crepes, among other things. Check out the recipe, give it a try, and ask yourself: wasn't it worth it? I've already found the answer to this question, and I have no regrets!

Ingredients:

Crepes batter:

• 750 mL of flour,
• 2 eggs,
• 625 mL of milk,
• 125 mL of water (preferably carbonated),
• 2 tablespoons of oil,
• a pinch of salt.

Filling:

• 1 large eggplant,
• 1 bell pepper,
• 1 onion,
• 2 cloves of garlic,
• 1 can of diced tomatoes,
• Provençal herbs,
• hot pepper,
• salt,
• pepper,
• a piece of yellow cheese, cubed.

Instructions:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the batter and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Then, fry thin crepes in a heated pan.
2. Cut the eggplant into small cubes. It's good to salt it, place it in a colander for 30-40 minutes, and then drain the excess liquid.
3. Finely chop the onion and fry it in butter.
4. Add the garlic pressed through a press and the eggplant, cover, and stew for about 15 minutes.
5. Add the diced tomatoes to the pan and season the mixture to taste with salt, pepper, hot pepper, and Provençal herbs.
6. Fry for a few more minutes.
7. Place the ready filling on the crepes, sprinkle a bit of grated cheese, and roll them up like croquettes.