Nalyskyky (Ukrainian Crepes with Cheese and Dill)
Nalysnyky are Ukrainian crepes, in this case, filled with cottage cheese and dill. They are a great comfort food, and perfect to add to a holiday meal.
Servings: 8
Calories: 244kcal
Equipment
- Small non-stick skillet (6-8")
- Food Processor optional
- Stand Mixer or hand mixer or whisk
- Large (2.3L or 2.5 quart) casserole dish or 9x9" baking dish
Ingredients
Cheese Filling
- 2 cups dry cottage cheese see note
- 2 large egg yolks (save the whites for the crepes, below)
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt see note
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Crepes
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites (saved from making the filling, above)
- 1 cup milk (any fat percentage will work)
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make this recipe gluten-free
To Assemble
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- fresh dill minced (optional, for serving)
Instructions
Cheese Filling
- Add 2 cups dry cottage cheese to the bowl of a food processor and process until it reaches a uniform texture. Add 2 large egg yolks, 2 Tablespoons heavy cream, 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and process until smooth. Set aside. (If you don't have a food processor, stir all of the ingredients together with a spatula in a large bowl. The filling won't be as smooth this way, but it will still work). Cover with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate while you make the crepes.
Crepes
- Add 3 large eggs and 2 large egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. Using the whisk attachment (or a hand mixer or whisk), beat the eggs and whites together until frothy and light yellow in color. Add 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Turn the mixer on low speed, and once the flour has been incorporated into the liquid, increase the speed to medium-high and beat until no more lumps of flour remain. The batter will be thin, like buttermilk or heavy cream.
- Heat a small (6-8") non-stick skillet over medium heat (if you don't have a skillet this small, use the smallest one you have, and cut your crepes into smaller pieces later). Brush the skillet lightly with oil.
- Pour a small amount of batter (about 2-3 Tablespoons for an 8" skillet, less for a 6" skillet, more for a larger one) into the skillet. Working quickly, pick up the skillet and carefully tilt it so that the batter covers the bottom of the skillet, being careful not to get any up the sides. If you have any gaps or holes that didn't fill in before the batter solidified, pour a few more drops of batter to fill the holes. Cook the crepes until they are no longer wet on the top, and the bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer the crepe to a cutting board or plate to cool (you only cook the crepes on one side).
- Repeat with all of the remaining batter. If you notice the crepes starting to stick to the skillet, brush it with a little more oil (if you have a good non-stick skillet, you probably won't need it between each crepe).
To Assemble:
- Heat oven to 350°. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter and spread 1 Tablespoon of it all over the bottom of a large (2.5 quart or 2.3L) casserole dish or 9x9" baking dish. Set aside, and save the remaining butter for later.
- Starting at the side of the crepe closest to you, spread 2 Tbsp of filling on the un-browned side of the crepe, leaving approximately an inch at the top (the side furthest away from you) of the crepe bare.
- Roll up the crepe starting at the side closest to you. Gently cut the crepe in half. Place both halves in the prepared casserole dish. Repeat this process with the remaining crepes and filling, packing the crepes into the dish tightly.
- Once you have a single layer full of crepes, brush the tops of them with the remaining butter. Put the rest of the crepes in another layer perpendicular to the first later (don't add a third layer as the crepes will puff up while baking - if you have more crepes that won't fit, use a second, smaller dish to bake them).
- Pour 2 Tablespoons heavy cream evenly over the crepes. Cover with an oven-safe lid or aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 1 hour. Serve with additional chopped dill if desired.
Notes
Dry cottage cheese (or it may be called dry curd cottage cheese) is sometimes available in plastic tubs near the regular cottage cheese in the dairy section of your supermarket. It might also be called "pressed cottage cheese" and be found in a vacuum-sealed block. If you can't find anything like this, try using farmer's cheese.
If you can't find any of these, you can buy regular cottage cheese. Place it in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse the cream off, then let it drain for 5-10 minutes before measuring it and adding it to the recipe.
Taste the cheese you are using before mixing it with the egg yolk. If it's quite salty, use only 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mine was not very salty, so I added 1/2 teaspoon.
Nutrition
Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 679mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 419IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg
