Serves:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Heat 5 tablespoons butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually add milk and broth, whisking, and bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat and simmer gently, whisking frequently, until velouté sauce is silky and thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve ½ cup sauce for topping.

Cook shallot in remaining tablespoon butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Stir into velouté sauce along with chicken and sherry.

Cut tips from asparagus and set aside. Cut enough stalks into ¼ inch pieces to measure 1 cup, reserving remainder for another use. Cook tips in a saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water with a slotted spoon. Scoop out tips and drain on paper towels, then reserve for topping. Cook and drain chopped asparagus in same manner and stir into velouté sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble and bake crêpes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread 1/4 cup filling across center of 1 crêpe and roll into a cylinder. Transfer, seam side down, to buttered baking dish, then assemble more crêpes in same manner, fitting them snugly. Bake in middle of oven 15 minutes.

Make topping while crêpes bake:

Stir together yolk, 2 tablespoons cream, and reserved ½ cup sauce until smooth. Beat remaining 3 tablespoons cream with a whisk until it holds soft peaks, then fold into yolk mixture.

Spoon topping over crêpes and broil 5 to 6 inches from heat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Heat butter in skillet, then add reserved asparagus tips and toss until warm.

Put 2 crêpes on each of 8 plates and top with asparagus tips.

For the Crepes

In a blender, combine the flour, salt, milk, and eggs and blend on medium speed until the batter is smooth. Pour in the melted butter and blend just for a second to incorporate it. The batter should be smooth and shiny. Pour it through a fine sieve into a bowl to get rid of any lumps and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Put an 8-inch crepe pan or a nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush with a little melted butter. Pour about ¼ cup of the batter into the pan and swirl it around so that the batter just covers the bottom of the pan; pour any excess batter back into the bowl. Cook for 30 to 45 seconds, until the batter just sets and you see the edge turning golden brown. Flip the crepe and cook for another 30 seconds to brown the other side. Slide the crepe off onto a plate, put the pan back on the heat, and keep making crepes until all of the batter is used. Cover the crepes with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap to keep them from drying out while you work.