Mushroom Blintzes, a savoury treat for Pesach (or all year!)

Mushroom blintzes are thin gluten-free crepes, wrapped around earthy, savoury mushrooms in a delicious fresh dill sauce. These scrumptious mushroom-filled pancake rolls are naturally vegetarian, filling and nutritious.

Do you have dishes that you associate with a particular place and time?

As a child, I spent many family holidays in the North of Israel, visiting family members and exploring the delights of the beautiful Galil region. From hiking in the Tel Dan nature reserve, to exploring the cities of Akko and Safed, and swimming in the Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee), our trips were never boring. My Dad was great at finding interesting places just off the beaten track – tiny museums, beautiful villages, and artisan producers of olive oil, wine or cheeses.

Nahariya – Israel’s Northernmost coastal city

We were often based in or around Nahariya – Israel’s northernmost coastal city. The main street was lined with cafes and restaurants. We often found ourselves going back to our favourite places time after time.

At one, I would always order the mushroom blintzes. These delicious savoury pancake rolls had a rich mushroom filling and came smothered in the most delicious dill sauce. To be honest, I think it might have been the dill sauce that I loved most, but in combination with the mushrooms, it was heavenly! It didn’t matter what else was on the menu, it was always savoury mushroom blintzes for me.

I hadn’t thought about those mushroom crepes for years and years until recently. Reminiscing about childhood holidays with my family I found myself recalling those delicious meals. Although I’m sure the restaurant is long gone, the memory of those blintzes remains. But now I have to make them for myself!

A quick history of blintzes

Like most Ashkenazi Jewish dishes, the journey of the blintz begins in Eastern Europe. These thin pancakes were made from a batter of flour, eggs and milk, and were usually filled with cheese or fruit. Since they can be laborious to make, they were often served on special occasions.

Savoury filled blintzes were less common. Fillings included potato, kasha (buckwheat), cabbage, or various meats including minced beef or liver. The thin pancakes or crepes – called bletlach or ‘leaves’ in Yiddish – were made with water for these meaty variations, and fried in oil or chicken fat (schmaltz) rather than butter.

Vegetarian mushroom blintzes

As Jewish people moved and travelled, blintzes gained new fillings, and evolved into new dishes. Mushrooms and dill have long been used in European cooking, so the importing those flavours into a savoury blintz was not a huge leap!

The resulting mushroom pancakes are a wonderful vegetarian dish. Grounded in Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, they have a delicious, fresh and modern flavour.

Gluten free crepes

With Pesach fast approaching, AND my daughter Kipper recently adopting a gluten-free diet, I decided to make these blintzes without using wheat flour. Instead, I substituted potato flour (potato starch) in the batter, creating thin, golden crepes that are kosher-for Passover and completely gluten free! If you just want gluten free crepes and are not bothered about kitniot, cornflour (corn starch) also works well in this recipe.

Potato flour is ‘starchier’ than wheat flour, so you need less than you would regular flour. This means that the pancakes are a bit ‘eggier’ than regular ones. However they still have a lovely light texture, and the flavour goes really well with the savoury mushroom filling. The additional eggs also mean that these vegetarian mushroom blintzes are a great source of protein!

Making the perfect crepe

Making a perfect crepe is both an art and a science. My Mum, who was an excellent cook, had a ‘crepe maker’ machine which would turn out perfect, identical thin pancakes every time. She spoke in hushed and reverent tones about her friends who could produce similar results using only a frying pan and their expert technique – presumably honed over thousands of blintzes!

To make thin, even, crepes, you will need three things:

1. Smooth, creamy batter – the consistency should be quite thin, like single cream, with no lumps.
2. A flat, well-seasoned or non-stick frying pan or crepe pan.
3. Excellent technique to pour, tilt and spread the batter into a perfect thin circle before it sets!

Making the batter for your bletlach (pancakes)

To make the batter for your gluten-free crepes, simply whisk together the following ingredients:

• Potato flour (potato starch) – or you can use cornflour (corn starch)
• Eggs
• Milk or water (or a non-dairy milk alternative)
• A pinch of salt

You can do this by hand with a whisk, or using a blender or food processor. The batter should be smooth and free of lumps with a consistency like thin single cream. This ensures that it will pour easily and spread in the pan to create thin and light crepes.

Once you have prepared the batter, allow it to rest. This vital step lets the starch fully hydrate in the liquid. I recommend a rest time of at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, you may prefer to make the gluten-free crepe batter a day ahead and let it rest in the fridge overnight. Some of the starch will settle, so you need to give the batter a good whisk to reincorporate everything, before you fry your pancakes.

Cooking the crepes

When you’re ready to cook, heat a well-seasoned or non-stick frying pan or pancake/crepe pan over a low-medium heat. Lightly brush the pan with melted butter or oil using a piece of kitchen paper or a pastry brush.

Pour a small amount of the batter into the centre of the pan, tilting and rotating as you pour, so that the batter spreads into a thin layer across the pan’s surface. The crepe should be thin enough that it cooks through in a minute or less, developing a light golden brown colour. The temperature of the pan is important here – too hot, and the batter will set before you have covered the base of the pan. Too cool, and the crepe will take too long to cook and won’t become golden. You can adjust the heat as you go until you get it spot on!

Once the edges start to lift and the top of the pancake looks dry, use a spatula to loosen the crepe and carefully flip it over. Cook for a few seconds on the other side before sliding your golden, gluten-free crepe onto a plate. Repeat to make more pancakes until you run out of batter.

You may need to adjust the heat slightly, and you may find you have to grease the pan between every crepe, or every other crepe, or not at all! As you go along you will find a method and rhythm that works for you.

Making the filling for mushroom blintzes

You can make the mushroom pancake filling while your batter is resting. Alternatively you can make it advance and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

I use a mixture of mushrooms, including firm and nutty chestnut mushrooms and robust and flavoursome shiitake mushrooms. Shiitakes in particular have a lower water content than other mushrooms, so they are less likely to cause soggy blintzes!

First, the mushrooms are simply brushed of any dirt and then thinly sliced. You then sauté them in butter or olive oil until all the water is driven off and a concentrated and delicious mixture is produced. Then simply season the cooked mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste.

Delicious dill sauce

These fabulous mushrooms pancakes wouldn’t be half as good without the creamy and delicious dill sauce. Although it looks like a lot of dill, this is the flavour that will infuse and enliven the dish, so don’t skimp!

Half the creamy dill sauce is mixed into the mushroom filling, and the rest is poured over the finished blintzes when serving. You can garnish with some extra fresh dill if you like.

Assembling and finishing your mushroom blintzes

Once the crepes and filling are ready, it’s time to assemble. Spoon a portion of the mushroom filling onto a pancake. Fold in the sides, then fold up the bottom edge to cover the filling. Finally, roll it up gently to secure the filling inside.

Once you have assembled your mushroom-filled crepes, carefully place them seam-side down into a greased baking dish. Brush the blintzes with melted butter and bake until piping hot and golden brown.

Alternatively, you can fry the filled savoury mushroom pancakes in batches in a well-buttered frying pan. Once cooked to a golden deliciousness, remove your blintzes from the pan and let them rest on a paper towel for a moment to absorb any excess butter.

Your delicious mushroom blintzes are now ready to serve. Pour over the reserved dill sauce, and enjoy!

An impressive and luxurious dish

Whether it’s Passover dinner, a special occasion, or you’re simply looking for a delicious gluten-free family meal, these mushroom blintzes are sure to impress. The combination of the golden crepe, delectably soft mushroom filling, and creamy dill sauce, will make each bite a delight!

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