I don't make these Chicken Florentine Crepes nearly enough. The white sauce tastes rich and complex while in reality is pretty simple to whisk together. We really love the combination of nutty Gruyere and tarragon in this recipe. Calling these "florentine" means there is a healthy dose of spinach, plenty of butter and grated cheese, and browned under the broiler for a delicate but filling meal!
Ingredients
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
Kosher salt and pepper
3/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon milk
2 cups of cooked and shredded chicken
½ onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces spinach, roughly chopped
Splash of dry sherry
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
3 green onions, chopped
6-8 Crepes
1/2 cup grated Gruyere
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
Mise en place
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter a glass 9x13-inch baking dish or spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
Slice onion
Mince garlic
Chop spinach
Mince tarragon
Chop green onions
Grate cheeses
White sauce
In a medium saucepan, melt two tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, continually stirring, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown, about 2 minutes. Add the hot stock in a slow, steady stream, whisking to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and cook, frequently stirring with a heavy wooden spoon until thick. Add 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and a pinch of pepper. Slowly whisk in the cream and simmer, stirring, until well combined and thickened, 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and very lightly add a small amount of milk on top to "film" the white sauce and prevent a skin from forming.
Chicken filling
In a large saute pan or skillet, heat two tablespoons of butter over medium heat and saute the onions until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Next, add the garlic and a pinch of salt and stir for one minute. Add a splash of sherry to deglaze the pan. Add the tarragon, green onions, and chicken to the pan and stir to combine.
Add the chopped spinach and stir well to blend and combine. Reduce the heat to low when the spinach begins to wilt.
Whisk the white sauce and add about a cup to the chicken mixture to bind and thicken the ingredients. Turn off all the burners.
Filling and rolling
Working one at a time, spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken filling along the bottom third of each crepe, and roll into a cigar shape to enclose the filling. Arrange seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining crepes.
Bring on the cheese
Spoon the sauce evenly over the crepes and top with shredded Gruyere.
Bake until warmed through and the top starts to become bubbly, 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the Parmesan. Turn oven to Broil and place baking dish under the broiler for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the cheese melts and the topping is golden brown.
Serve hot, 1 to 2 crepes per person.