Francis Mallmann and his brother Carlos were partners in a jam factory in Bariloche years ago. Carlos also had a farm, about twenty acres, where he grew strawberries, raspberries, red currants, boysenberries, and calafate – a beautiful evergreen with purple fruit from Argentina. Inspired by the farm, Francis and his brother created this crepe recipe to show off the delicious red fruits of the region.

Ingredients:

One cup crepe batter

4 large egg whites

1 to 2 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature

½ cup of homemade or high quality store-bought raspberry jam

Steps:

-Place the batter in a large bowl. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold ¼ of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, and then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. The mixture should be very light and mousse-like.

-Heat a chapa or one or two large cast iron griddles or skillets over medium heat. Brush the surface with softened butter. Reduce the heat to low and place heaping tablespoons of the batter in separate dollops on the cooking surface, keeping them well apart from each other to allow them to rise, and let them cook very slowly for 6-8 minutes, until they are all set and just beginning to turn lightly brown on the edges. Turn them over with a spatula and cook for about four minutes more, until they just begin to turn gold on the bottom. Transfer to a serving platter and cook the remaining crepes. Gently top each crepe with a teaspoon of jam, and serve immediately.

So.… what wine do I serve with these?  

Our sommelier tells us that Argentina’s late harvest wine would be a perfect fit. Carmine Granata winery makes an amazing Late Harvest Semillon with grapes affected by botrytis. A 40 year-old vineyard in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, especially destined to making this coppery yellow wine with citrus, lime, floral notes and honey due to its aging in a 3,000 liters of oak. A full-bodied wine with a complex aftertaste that will pair perfectly with the crepe’s raspberry preserves. Uncork, take a sip and enjoy!

Buy here: http://wineshop.vinesofmendoza.com/product/Carmine-Granata-Cosecha-Tardia-Semillon-2007)

Sharon Nieuwenhuis, Director of Communications at The Vines has a weakness for all things sweet on the Siete Fuegos menu.