COCONUT VEGGIE CHICKEN CREPES

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THE COMBINATION OF COCONUT, vegetables, and chicken is not—as far as I can tell—Polish. Nor is it French. French Caribbean, maybe. But for Zbigniew Chojnacki it’s a big seller at La Dominique Crêperie, a favorite of college students who rationalize that, owing to the veggies tucked inside, these crepes constitute a balanced meal.

Read about the La Dominique Crêperie truck

MAKES 4 CREPES

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
¼ cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
4 cups cubed skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup thinly sliced onion

2 cups broccoli florets, blanched (see Note) Salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 hot crepes (from Zbigniew Chojnacki’s Crepe Batter, recipe follows)

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove the coconut sauce from the heat, stir in the cream, and set aside.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and onion, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes more. Stir in just enough of the coconut sauce to coat the chicken and vegetables. Add the broccoli and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Season the chicken and broccoli mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
To assemble the crepes, spoon some of the chicken and broccoli mixture in the center of each crepe, dividing it evenly among them. Wrap up the crepes, folding over one end to enclose the filling.

NOTE: To blanch the broccoli, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook it for 2 minutes. Immediately drain and plunge the broccoli in ice water to stop the cooking, then drain it again. Pat the broccoli dry with paper towels.