Passover Potato Crepes

Food and memory are inextricably intertwined with the holiday of Passover. The sight of my father seated in front of a large metal bowl wearing goggles, as he smiled and grated fresh horseradish to make chrein, was a defining moment in my family’s Passover preparations. My mother’s homemade chicken soup was served in the Limoges dishes that my grandparents brought to America from France after the War. Handmade Pesach egg noodles swam in the golden broth that we spooned up with the oversized silverware that was used only at the seder. My Passover menu is very traditional, with occasional surprises.

Passover Potato Crepes

Mushroom crepes were one of my mother’s Passover specialties that were enjoyed by several generations of our family. Recently, I began making potato-filled crepes in addition to the classic mushroom variety. To my surprise, the demand for potato crepes outstripped that for the more traditional mushroom crepes two to one. So now, I prepare plenty of both kinds and nothing makes me happier than seeing the empty pans in the kitchen at the end of the meal, as new food memories are made. Chag kasher v’sameach.

For the Crepes: Combine the eggs, potato starch, and water in a medium bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients until smooth. (Note: the potato starch tends to sink to the bottom of the bowl and should be stirred every 15 minutes or so).

Heat a non-stick 9 1/2-inch skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add about 1/4 cup of crepe batter to the pan. Swirl the pan so that a thin layer of batter covers the bottom of the pan. If there is excess batter, pour it back into the bowl. Allow the crepe to cook until the edges start to come away from the sides of the pan. This will only take a minute or so. With the help of a spatula, flip the crepe onto its other side and allow it to cook another 15 seconds. Flip the crepe out of the pan and repeat until all the batter is used up.

Potato filling: To make the filling, cook the potatoes and garlic cloves in boiling salted water until tender. Drain well, reserving 1 cup of the potato cooking water. Mash the potatoes, adding the chunks of margarine or oil, and gradually adding the potato cooking water just until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. You may not need to use the full cup of potato water. Set the mashed potatoes aside. 

Sauté the chopped onions in oil over medium heat until they are light golden brown. Don’t allow them to burn. Using a fork, beat the 2 eggs lightly and add the onions and eggs to the mashed potatoes. Add the seasonings and mix well. 

Roll up the crepes: Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in an oblong shape along the bottom third of the crepe. Fold in the two sides of the crepe over the filling. Flip the bottom of the crepe over the filling and keep rolling.

Mushroom sauce: To make a mushroom sauce to accompany the crepes, sauté the sliced onion in 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. When the onion is softened, add the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms have released their liquid, slowly add 1/2 cup of broth (beef or mushroom) into which a teaspoon of potato starch has been dissolved. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring until it thickens slightly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

The potato crepes can be frozen in a single layer. The mushroom sauce should be frozen separately. Allow the potato crepes to defrost before reheating. Reheat at 250 F. covered, until warmed through. Remove the cover for the last 15 minutes so that the crepes can crisp up and brown slightly. Warm the mushroom sauce in a sauce pan over medium-low heat. Spoon the mushroom sauce over the crepes before serving.

Print Recipe

Passover Potato Crepes

Vegetables and Sides

By Nanette with help from Norene Gilletz, The Pleasure of your Food Processor – Serves: 12, 2 crepes per person

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes – Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Delicate, thin, crispy crepes with a creamy, mashed potato filling

Ingredients

• Crepes
• 12 large eggs
• 3/4 cup potato starch
• 1 cup water
• Potato filling
• 9 potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 onions, chopped in a 1/4-inch dice
• 1 tablespoon oil for sautéing onions
• 1/4 cup margarine or oil
• 2 large eggs
• salt & pepper to taste
• Mushroom sauce
• 1 large onion, sliced finely into half-moons
• 2 cups button or cremini mushrooms
• 1/2 cup broth (mushroom or beef consommé powder combined with water)
• 1 teaspoon potato starch

Instructions

Crepes:

1

Combine the eggs, potato starch, and water in a medium bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients until smooth. (Note: the potato starch tends to sink to the bottom of the bowl and should be stirred every 15 minutes or so).

2

Heat a 9 1/2-inch non-stick skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray, over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add about 1/4 cup of crepe batter to the pan. Swirl the pan (lots of wrist action here) so that a thin layer of batter covers the bottom of the pan. If there is excess batter, pour it back into the bowl. Allow the crepe to cook until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. This will only take a minute or so. With the help of a spatula, flip the crepe onto its other side and allow it to cook another 15 seconds. Flip the crepe out of the pan and repeat until all the batter is used up.

Potato filling:

3

Cook the potatoes and garlic cloves in boiling salted water until tender. Drain well reserving 1 cup of the potato cooking water. Mash the potatoes, adding the chunks of margarine, or oil, and gradually adding the cooking water until the potatoes are smooth and creamy. You may not need to use the full cup of cooking water. Set the potatoes aside. 

4

Sauté the chopped onions in oil over medium heat until they are light golden brown. Don't allow them to burn. Using a fork, beat the 2 eggs lightly and add the onions and eggs to the mashed potatoes. Add the seasonings and mix well. 

Roll up the crepes: 

5

Place about 2 tablespoons of filling in an oblong shape along the bottom third of the crepe. Fold in the two sides of the crepe over the filling. Flip the bottom of the crepe over the filling and keep rolling.

Mushroom sauce:

6

Sauté the sliced onion in 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. When the onion is softened, add the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms have released their liquid, slowly add 1/2 cup of broth (beef or mushroom) into which a teaspoon of potato starch has been dissolved. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring until it thickens.  Season to taste.

Notes

The crepe recipe is the same recipe that I use to make Passover noodles (I've tripled it for this recipe). After making the crepes, roll up 6-8 crepes in a tight cylinder and slice thinly. Voilà, Passover egg noodles. The crepes can be frozen before slicing and pulled out of freezer as needed. You're welcome.