Exotic Shrimp Salad on Buckwheat Crepes

A warm salad of sautéed shrimp with bell peppers, mild chiles, lemongrass, cilantro and garlic, served on buckwheat crepes. An interesting, colorful and flavorful starter.

If you like it spicier, use hot chiles instead of the mild ones.

Baking the pancakes is a bit of work, but the result is definitely worth the effort.

Ingredients

Buckwheat Crepes

• 5 oz / 150 g all-purpose flour
• 2 oz / 60 g buckwheat flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• about 2 cups / 500 ml milk
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• butter and oil for the pan

Shrimp Salad

• 1 red bell pepper, cut into ¼ in / 5 mm cubes
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼ in / 5 mm cubes
• 1 poblano (or other mild) chili pepper, cut into ¼ in / 5 mm cubes
• 1 tbsp finely grated lemongrass
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• juice of 2 limes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• a pinch of ground cumin
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
• 24 prawns (4 per serving)
• olive oil

Preparation

Buckwheat Crepes

1. Combine wheat flour, buckwheat flour, eggs, milk and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together.
2. Stir in olive oil and melted butter. Let stand for at least half an hour.
3. Set a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add a bit of butter and olive oil. Add about ¼ cup / 60 ml of pancake batter, then tilt the pan to make a round pancake (about 4 in / 10 cm diameter). Cook on one side until the top begins to set, then flip and cook the other side until golden brown.
4. Repeat previous step until you have used up all the batter. You will end up with more than 6 crepes, but I find it very hard to make a much smaller amount of batter and the pancakes taste so good even without the salad.
5. Cover the stack of pancakes with aluminum foil and keep warm. You can also prepare the pancakes well in advance and reheat them before serving.

Shrimp Salad

1. Combine peppers, cilantro, garlic, lemongrass, cumin, black pepper, lime juice and olive oil. Mix well, cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Do not add the salt before refrigerating.
2. Season with salt.
3. Set a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook shrimp and vegetables in small batches: Add a bit of olive oil to the pan. Add 4 shrimp, cook until almost done (about 1 minute). Add 2-3 tbsp of the mixed vegetables. Cook for another minute.
4. For each serving / batch: Place a pancake on a preheated plate, top with the prawns and vegetables. Serve warm.

Yields 6 servings