Rye Crêpes with Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche and Pickled Shallots

Our pairing of earthy rye crêpes with a smoked salmon filling takes inspiration from blini toppings. Mixing crème fraîche with lemon, chives, and chopped capers made for a briny, bright topping to pair with rich smoked salmon. Quick-pickled shallots provided tang and crunch. The crêpes will give off steam as they cook, but if at any point the skillet begins to smoke, remove it from the burner and turn down the heat. Stacking the crêpes on a wire rack allows excess steam to escape so that they won't stick together. This recipe yields 11 crêpes, but only eight are needed; extra crêpes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to three days or stacked between sheets of parchment paper and frozen for up to one month. Allow frozen crêpes to thaw completely in the refrigerator before using.

Filling:
⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 shallots, sliced thin
¾ cup crème fraîche
3 Tbsp. capers, rinsed and chopped
3 Tbsp. fresh chives, finely chopped
1½ tsp. lemon zest, freshly grated
1½ Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
8 oz smoked salmon

Crêpes:
½ tsp. vegetable oil
1 cup (5½ oz) rye flour
½ tsp. kosher salt
2½ cups milk
3 large eggs
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Filling:
Combine vinegar and sugar in small bowl and microwave until sugar is dissolved and vinegar is steaming, about 30 seconds. Add shallots and stir to combine. Cover and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Drain shallots and discard liquid.

Combine crème fraîche, capers, chives, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper in medium bowl.

For the Crêpes:
Heat oil in 12" nonstick skillet over low heat for at least 5 minutes.

While skillet heats, whisk flour and salt together in medium bowl. In second bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Add half of milk mixture to flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Add melted butter and whisk until incorporated. Whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.

Using paper towel, wipe out skillet, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides. Increase heat to medium and let skillet heat for 1 minute. Test heat of skillet by placing 1 tsp. batter in center and cooking for 20 seconds. If mini crêpe is golden brown on bottom, skillet is properly heated; if it is too light or too dark, adjust heat accordingly and retest.

Lift skillet off heat and pour ⅓ cup batter into far side of skillet; swirl gently in clockwise direction until batter evenly covers bottom of skillet. Return skillet to heat and cook crêpe, without moving it, until surface is dry and crêpe starts to brown at edges, loosening crêpe from side of skillet with rubber spatula, about 35 seconds. Gently slide spatula underneath edge of crêpe, grasp edge with your fingertips, and flip crêpe. Cook until second side is lightly spotted, about 20 seconds. Transfer crêpe to wire rack. Return skillet to heat for 10 seconds before repeating with remaining batter. As crêpes are done, stack on rack.

Transfer stack of crêpes to large plate and invert second plate over crêpes. Microwave until crêpes are warm, 30-45 seconds (45-60 seconds if crêpes have cooled completely). Spread 2 Tbsp. crème fraîche mixture across the bottom half of each of 8 crêpes, followed by 1 oz smoked salmon and one-eighth of shallots. (Reserve remaining crêpes for another use.)

Fold crêpes in half and then into qters. Transfer to plate and serve.

Makes 4 servings.