BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: (Gluten-Free) Savory Crêpes (Slane Palačinke) and Shopska Salad

These basic (unfilled) crêpes were a happy mistake. I planned to sub the all-purpose flour in a Bosnian crepe recipe with a mix of Cup4Cup and tapioca flour, but was out of the former. So I improvised... and the result was amazing! Some of the best crêpes I've ever made, GF or not. The tapioca flour makes the batter forgiving, so they cook up easily — even the first one! And the rice flour makes the crêpes extra tender. I am excited to make a batch to fold into quarters and freeze on parchment paper, to pull out for a quick breakfast. If you are not GF, you can sub any savory crepe recipe you like; Balkan crêpes are virtually identical to those found throughout the rest of Europe. If you want to use these crêpes with a sweet filling, add 1 teaspoon granulated sugar to the batter.

Often ham-and-cheese crêpes are rolled, breaded, and individually pan fried (pohovane palačinke) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but that requires more active cooking time. While the baked version is not as prevalent, there are a few recipes for them from both Bosnian and Balkan sources. Quite easy to assemble and perfect for any meal of the day any time of the year!

(Gluten-Free) Savory Crêpes (Palačinke)

Crêpes (makes 8-10 crêpes)

3 large eggs

2 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup tapioca flour

1 cup white rice flour

2 tablespoons butter (for frying)

1. Add eggs, milk, olive oil, and 1 cup water to a blender. Pulse until eggs are blended into liquids. Add salt and both flours, and purée 1-2 minutes, until fully incorporated.

2. Heat a 10" nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. When pan is hot, scrape a sliver of butter into pan and remove from heat, swirling to coat.

3. Keeping pan off heat, add a ~¼ cup of batter into the pan and tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. The batter may look lacy do to heated butter, but add enough batter so that there is a thin layer covering any holes.

4. Return the pan to the heat. Cook until the top of the crêpe is no longer wet and the bottom has turned light brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Run a spatula around the edge of the skillet to loosen the crêpe; flip and cook until the other side has turned light brown, about 1 minute more.

5. Remove crêpes to a large plate, stacking with parchment paper between each one until ready to use.

Filling

1 cup sour cream

½ cup light cream

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons grate parmesan cheese

8 slices ham (or any deli meat of your choice)

8 slices Swiss, cheddar, or fontina cheese

2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a baking dish, large enough to hold 8 rolled crêpes.

2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add in the sour cream, cream, and parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine.

3. Lay a crêpe on a dinner plate or other flat surface. Spread 1 tablespoon of the sauce, then lay a slice of ham and cheese. Roll the crêpe and place it in the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the rest of the crepes.

4. After the crêpes are in the pan, pour over the remaining sauce all over the crepes, making sure all of the sides are coated.

5. Bake until golden brown on top, about 40 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley if using.

Shopska Salad

3 medium tomatoes, such as Roma

1 medium cucumber or 3 Persian cucumbers

1 small shallot

1 red bell pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup grated or crumbled feta cheese

salt, to taste

1. Cut the tomato in half, then each half into wedges. Cut the cucumber lengthwise, then again so you have 4 long slices. Cut into large cubes. Finely dice the shallot. Remove the stem and seeds from the pepper, and cut into large dice.

2. Combine all salad ingredients into a mixing bowl except for the feta cheese. Stir to combine and adjust for salt. Transfer the salad to your serving dish and top with cheese.

3. Serve immediately.

#crepes #cheesecrepe #bosniaandherzegovina #waterfalls

FUN FACTS:

• The country's Presidency has three members, to represent the Bosniak, Croat, and Serb ethnic groups.

• Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, marking the first time a socialist country held the Winter Games.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina has more waterfalls than Italy, France, and Germany combined.