Crespéou

This is a dish I had to make immediately once I saw the photo and read the recipe in Sophie Dahl's new book. Basically, Crespéou (pronounced cress-PAY-oo) is a Provençal omelet-cake. It can be an hors d'oeuvre or a main course, party food or solitary supper, hot main dish or cold snack. Fabulous for summer, because you can use anything you have on hand to make the layers and if you're thinking about making this for company, you're in luck because it's best made a day ahead. 

While researching crespéou, one of the recipes I discovered had 20 (!) thin omelets of varying colors and with contrasting ingredients, garnished with lavender sprigs, which must have made a tower of a cake. But the flavors described in this giant crespéou were right up my alley: anchovies, basil, olives, eggplant, zucchini, capers, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and more.

I also found Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe HERE; his recipe appeals on many levels and I'll make it the next time. He added tomato paste to his red layer, turmeric to his yellow layer and scallions, basil and green chili to his green layer. Those additions certainly would make the colors (as well as flavors) stand out a bit more in each layer, making the presentation much more intriguing. 

By far the easiest way to make Crespéou is just to cook up a stack of open-face omelets, piling them on a plate as they firm up and brown slightly, then cut into wedges to serve right away. But aficionados suggest not only stacking the omelets, but weighting them down overnight so that they compress even more. Which is what I did. The contrasting flavors are more pronounced when prepared this way.

What makes crespéou appealing is that it's so free-form. You can flavor the different layers with just about anything and you can build it as high as you like. Sophie Dahl and Ottolenghi both used three layers, so I did the same. No need to get carried away with 20 or even 8 layers. You don't need a sauce or garnish either, but you can serve it with a green salad or add a tomato coulis. I sprinkled it with herbs, but some niçoise olives, tomato slices with basil alongside would be nice and would add a Provençal touch.

Crespéou
From Very Fond of Food by Sophie Dahl

Ingredients:
For the yellow omelet:
5 eggs
1 tablespoon half and half cream
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine (I had a large shallot, so used that)
1 pinch of saffron

For the green omelet:
5 eggs
1 tablespoon half and half cream
salt and pepper
olive oil
a handful of baby spinach
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

For the red omelet:
5 eggs
1 tablespoon half and half cream
salt and pepper
olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
any garnishes you wish

Method:
For the yellow omelet: whisk the eggs with the cream and season with salt and pepper. Add some olive oil to a non-stick pan and add the onion, then the saffron. Stir and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the eggs and cook until set. Place the omelet on a plate
For the green omelet: whisk the eggs with the cream and season with salt and pepper. Add some olive oil to the non-stick pan and add the spinach, tarragon and parsley. Stir a bit, then add the eggs and cook until set. Place on top of the yellow omelet.
For the red omelet: whisk the eggs with the cream and season with salt and pepper. Add some olive oil to a non-stick pan and add the tomatoes. Saute for a minute or so, then add the eggs and goat cheese. Cook until set. Place on top of the green omelet.

Wrap the stacked omelets in wax paper, cover with tin foil, pressing them down. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish however you choose, cut as you would a cake and serve.