Eat For Eight Bucks: Cornmeal Crepes, Mushroom Ragout, Fried Egg Recipe - flour

Method

• Blend flour, cornmeal, salt, milk, eggs, and melted butter in blender until smooth. (If mixing by hand, place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and gradually whisk in the wet ingredients, one egg or splash of milk at a time.) Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. If batter seems too thick after standing (consistency should be that of whipping cream), thin with a little bit of cold water.
• Lightly brush a 10-inch skillet with melted butter or vegetable oil, and heat over medium heat until hot but not smoking.
• Repeat with remaining batter, re-oiling the skillet between crepes. Stack crepes on plate as they are finished.
• I used inexpensive crimini and portobello mushrooms, but the recipe works just as well-if not better-with more exotic mushrooms, such as oyster, maitake, and enoki. To keep the dish affordable, try supplementing a base of criminis with a smaller quantity of wild mushrooms.
• In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat until butter is melted, and pan is hot but not smoking. Sweat the shallots in oil and butter until translucent. Add mushrooms and large pinch of salt, and saute, stirring occasionally, until the liquid that the mushrooms give off has evaporated, 6-8 minutes.
• Add tomato paste and stir to coat mushrooms. Cook for 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to low, add sour cream and cook until warmed through. Adjust seasoning.
• Allow two crepes per person, and one egg per crepe.
• Fry the eggs sunny-side up or over-easy. Set aside and keep warm.
• Spoon desired quantity of warm mushroom ragout just below the center of each crepe, leaving a one-inch border on each side. Top with fried egg. Fold in sides of crepe over filling, then, beginning at bottom, roll up to enclose filling.
• Serve crepe seam side down. Top with sour cream or chopped fresh herbs, if desired.