Smoked Salmon & Asparagus Pinwheels

Another little 'something different' to serve with drinks before dinner.  Light and fresh.

Batter

½ c flour

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

½ c milk

10 or so chives, finely sliced

1 T melted butter, for greasing fry pan

Filling

4 oz cream cheese at room temperature

Zest of half a lemon

1 t capers, chopped

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pinch of salt

100 g smoked salmon or gravlax

6 asparagus spears, blanched in boiling water for 1-1/2 minutes and cooled

In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt.  Whisk through to combine.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs well, then add the milk.  Add roughly half of the egg/milk mixture to the flour.  Whisk until lump-free and thick.  Gradually add the remaining, whisking after each addition.  Add the chives and stir to combine.

Preheat a (preferably non-stick) medium-sized fry pan (base approximately 17 cm wide) over medium heat.  Once hot, dip a pastry brush into the melted butter and apply a thin coating to the fry pan.  Tilting the pan away from you, add ¼ c of the batter, and immediately begin tilting the pan in a circular motion, moving the batter in the pan to cover the bottom.  Place back on the heat, and flip once the edges begin to release themselves from the sides of the pan (this will take approximately 30 seconds, depending how hot your stove is).  Cook on the second side for ten seconds or so; remove to a plate to cool.  Repeat until all the batter has been used.

Combine the filling ingredients (excluding salmon & asparagus), and mix well with a fork to combine.

Spread one-sixth of the mixture over each cooled crepe, going almost to the edge.  Place roughly one-sixth of the smoked salmon in the lower third of each crepe, and place an asparagus spear on top of the salmon.  Starting at the bottom edge, roll each crepe up tightly to enclose its ingredients.

Wrap each snugly in a piece of cling film, and refrigerate until well-chilled.  Remove cling film, cut a centimeter or so off each end (cook’s treat), and slice the remaining into five pieces, either straight across or on the bias.     

Can be made the day ahead; makes 30 pieces.