My Bayona staff served this dessert at the Taste of the NFL, a huge hunger-relief fund-raiser that we have participated in for over fifteen years. It takes place the night before the Super Bowl in the host city and is attended by more than 2,000 people, dining on food donated and prepared by chefs representing each NFL team. In seventeen years we have raised over $5 million for food banks and relief agencies all over the country. Now that’s a party with a purpose!

　　

Ingredients

makes 16 crêpes

　　

Lemon Crêpes

3/4 cup milk

　　2 tablespoons granulated sugar

　　2 tablespoons butter, plus more for frying

　　3 eggs

　　3/4 cup flour, sifted

　　1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

　　1/8 teaspoon salt

　　1 teaspoon each orange and lemon zest

　　2 drops lemon oil, optional

　　

Goat Cheese Filling

1 cup fresh goat cheese (6–8 ounces)

　　1/2 cup mascarpone (4 ounces)

　　2 tablespoons sugar

　　1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　2 tablespoons orange juice

　　

Louisiana Kumquat Compote

2 cups kumquats (10 ounces), quartered lengthwise and seeded

　　2 cups orange juice

　　1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

　　1 cup sugar

　　1 cup water

　　1/2 vanilla bean

　　1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

　　

To Assemble

Lemon Crêpes

　　Goat Cheese Filling

　　Louisiana Kumquat Compote

　　

Lemon Crêpes

Step 1

Heat the milk and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until the milk is scalded or just begins to bubble. Remove it from the heat and stir in the butter. Place in a blender and add the eggs, flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Blend until thoroughly combined, then pulse in the zests. Let the batter rest about 15 minutes to release any air bubbles.

　　

Step 2

Heat 1 teaspoon butter in an 8-inch nonstick pan over medium heat. Pour 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) of batter into the pan. Tilt and swirl the pan until the batter covers the bottom completely. Keep rolling the batter toward the outer rim so that the edges do not get too thin. When the edges begin to turn golden, flip the crêpe with a plastic spatula and cook approximately 30 seconds on the other side. Slide the crêpe out of the pan onto a cooling rack or baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter.

　　

Goat Cheese Filling

Step 3

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor, or a mixer with the paddle attachment, and process until smooth and slightly creamy. Taste and adjust sweetness with more sugar or orange juice.

　　

Louisiana Kumquat Compote

Step 4

Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the mixture is thick and syrupy. Remove from the heat and let cool. Remove the vanilla bean.

　　

To Assemble

Step 5

Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture on a crêpe and fold in half. Repeat until all the crêpes are filled. (Up to this point, the crêpes can be made ahead, wrapped tightly, and stored overnight.) In a wide nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon butter over medium-high heat. When bubbly, add the crêpes, four at a time (do not overlap), and sauté until lightly browned, turning the crêpes over once. Fold the crêpes a second time, into triangles. Place two crêpes on each plate and top with some of the kumquat compote.

　　Cooks' Note

　　For serious citrus lovers, spread the crêpes with a slather of homemade or good-quality store-bought lemon curd instead of the goat cheese mixture. Then complete the recipe as instructed.

　　Lemon oil, which is available in most bakery supply stores, gives these crêpes a particularly concentrated citrus taste.

　　From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.