Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Italian Crepe Cannelloni
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
40 min
70 min
110 min
Serves:
4 servings (about 8 rolls)
Michael created this dish for MasterChef UK ™ Series 22. His Italian-inspired cannelloni swaps pasta for delicate French crêpes — praised as thin, evenly cooked and still holding their filling — wrapped around a bacon-and-Madeira vegetable ragù enriched with ricotta and blanketed in béchamel. Judges...
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Ingredients
FOR THE CRÊPES: 125 g plain / all-purpose flour 1.5 g fine salt 2 large eggs 300 ml whole milk 30 g unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for the pan)
FOR THE BACON & MADEIRA RAGÙ: 150 g smoked streaky bacon or pancetta, finely diced 15 ml olive oil 150 g onion, finely diced 100 g carrot, finely diced 100 g celery, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 15 g tomato purée / paste (optional) 80 ml Madeira 125 g ricotta Fine salt & black pepper, to taste
FOR THE BÉCHAMEL: 30 g unsalted butter 16 g plain / all-purpose flour 300 ml whole milk 25 g Parmesan, finely grated Small pinch freshly grated nutmeg Fine salt & white pepper, to taste
TO FINISH: 15 g Parmesan, grated, for the top A few small basil leaves (optional)
EQUIPMENT: 8-inch (20 cm) non-stick crêpe or frying pan Ladle and a batter bowl (or jug) Wide sauté pan Small heavy saucepan and a whisk Baking dish (about 9 x 13 in / 23 x 33 cm) or individual gratin dishes Fine grater
Method
STEP 1: MAKE THE CRÊPE BATTER
Whisk the flour and salt, make a well, and beat in the eggs. Gradually whisk in the milk, then the melted butter, to a smooth, thin batter. Rest 20 minutes if you can.
STEP 2: COOK THE CRÊPES
Wipe a hot 8-inch pan with butter. Ladle in a thin layer, swirl to coat, and cook until the edge lifts and the underside is golden; flip and cook the second side briefly. Aim for thin, even, unbroken crêpes — the praised element. Make about 8 and stack under a cloth.
STEP 3: RENDER THE BACON
Render the bacon in the olive oil over medium heat until genuinely browned and crisp at the edges; this is what makes it taste on the plate. Don't rush it pale.
STEP 4: COOK THE SOFFRITTO
Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook gently 10–12 minutes until the celery is cooked through but still has a gentle bite — soft enough that no raw crunch remains, firm enough to keep the texture. Add the garlic for the last minute.
STEP 5: BUILD AND DRY THE RAGÙ
Stir in the tomato paste (if using), then pour in the Madeira. Cook it right out until the pan is glossy and dry — a wet filling will tear a delicate crêpe. Season assertively with salt and pepper, cool slightly, then fold through the ricotta.
STEP 6: MAKE THE BÉCHAMEL
Melt the butter, stir in the flour, and cook the roux 1–2 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and simmer to a sauce that just coats a spoon — keep it modest. Off the heat, beat in the Parmesan and nutmeg, then season properly with salt and white pepper.
STEP 7: ASSEMBLE
Heat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Spoon a line of ragù down each crêpe and roll into neat tubes. Set them seam-down in a buttered dish.
STEP 8: SAUCE AND BAKE
Spoon — don't drown — the béchamel over the rolls, letting the crêpe still show at the ends. Scatter the Parmesan and bake 20 minutes until bubbling and lightly gold.
STEP 9: PLATE
Plate cleanly: one or two rolls per plate, a restrained ribbon of sauce, edges wiped, a couple of basil leaves only if you choose to use them. Let the neat crêpes be the hero.
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Instructions
FOR THE CRÊPES:
125 g plain / all-purpose flour
1.5 g fine salt
2 large eggs
300 ml whole milk
30 g unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for the pan)
FOR THE BACON & MADEIRA RAGÙ:
150 g smoked streaky bacon or pancetta, finely diced
15 ml olive oil
150 g onion, finely diced
100 g carrot, finely diced
100 g celery, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 g tomato purée / paste (optional)
80 ml Madeira
125 g ricotta
Fine salt & black pepper, to taste
FOR THE BÉCHAMEL:
30 g unsalted butter
16 g plain / all-purpose flour
300 ml whole milk
25 g Parmesan, finely grated
Small pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Fine salt & white pepper, to taste
TO FINISH:
15 g Parmesan, grated, for the top
A few small basil leaves (optional)
EQUIPMENT:
8-inch (20 cm) non-stick crêpe or frying pan
Ladle and a batter bowl (or jug)
Wide sauté pan
Small heavy saucepan and a whisk
Baking dish (about 9 x 13 in / 23 x 33 cm) or individual gratin dishes
Fine grater
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MAKE THE CRÊPE BATTER
Whisk the flour and salt, make a well, and beat in the eggs. Gradually whisk in the milk, then the melted butter, to a smooth, thin batter. Rest 20 minutes if you can.
STEP 2: COOK THE CRÊPES
Wipe a hot 8-inch pan with butter. Ladle in a thin layer, swirl to coat, and cook until the edge lifts and the underside is golden; flip and cook the second side briefly. Aim for thin, even, unbroken crêpes — the praised element. Make about 8 and stack under a cloth.
STEP 3: RENDER THE BACON
Render the bacon in the olive oil over medium heat until genuinely browned and crisp at the edges; this is what makes it taste on the plate. Don't rush it pale.
STEP 4: COOK THE SOFFRITTO
Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook gently 10–12 minutes until the celery is cooked through but still has a gentle bite — soft enough that no raw crunch remains, firm enough to keep the texture. Add the garlic for the last minute.
STEP 5: BUILD AND DRY THE RAGÙ
Stir in the tomato paste (if using), then pour in the Madeira. Cook it right out until the pan is glossy and dry — a wet filling will tear a delicate crêpe. Season assertively with salt and pepper, cool slightly, then fold through the ricotta.
STEP 6: MAKE THE BÉCHAMEL
Melt the butter, stir in the flour, and cook the roux 1–2 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and simmer to a sauce that just coats a spoon — keep it modest. Off the heat, beat in the Parmesan and nutmeg, then season properly with salt and white pepper.
STEP 7: ASSEMBLE
Heat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Spoon a line of ragù down each crêpe and roll into neat tubes. Set them seam-down in a buttered dish.
STEP 8: SAUCE AND BAKE
Spoon — don't drown — the béchamel over the rolls, letting the crêpe still show at the ends. Scatter the Parmesan and bake 20 minutes until bubbling and lightly gold.
STEP 9: PLATE
Plate cleanly: one or two rolls per plate, a restrained ribbon of sauce, edges wiped, a couple of basil leaves only if you choose to use them. Let the neat crêpes be the hero.
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