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In this special weekly feature, “Today” Food editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much fun you can have (and money you can save) by cooking these dishes at home.
THIS WEEK: Mushroom and chicken crepes topped with tarragon velouté from chef Philippe Piel of ICI in Washington, D.C.
This week’s recipe was stolen from executive chef Philippe Piel from ICI in Washington, D.C. ICI Urban Bistro is very new on the scene, having only just opened this month on 15th & H Streets in Northwest Washington. ICI means "here" in French and offers a more relaxed approach to French cuisine, focusing on comfort foods. To Piel, comfort foods are the famous Breton galettes, a crepe made with a salty buckwheat batter and filled with ham, cheese and a sunny-side-up egg or the leek quiche and chicken a la crème that were a staple at his family’s Sunday-evening suppers.
Executive chef Philippe Piel is a protégé of chef Antoine Westermann and is working to build a menu of the foods his family cooked for their Sunday dinners. ICI does a lot of family-style meals, including weekly "mijote" pots, which are slow-cooked casseroles, stewed and served table side in cast-iron pots. “Food is a reflection of mood, and has the power to influence mood,” states chef Piel. “It is my hope that when dining at ICI, guests feel comfortable, welcome and in tune with fun French culture.” Chef Piel is going back to his roots and presenting a menu of the authentic French comfort foods that embody his childhood.
About the chef: A native of Brittany, France, chef Philippe Piel’s resume reads like a map of exotic vacation destinations. Drawing culinary influences from chefs such as Joel Antunes and Thomas Keller, chef Piel describes his cuisine as “French in fundamentals, fun on the plate.” Believing that “food is a display of culture,” chef Piel strives to incorporate his global influences into a menu that allows diners access to the authentic culinary comforts of his homeland. 
After a childhood glued to his grandmother’s apron strings, chef Piel enrolled in culinary school in Fougères, France, and embarked on a culinary career that led him through experiences at the three Michelin-star Le Buerehiesel in Strasbourg, France, and six time zones.
Chef Piel began his career at Restaurant Les Voyageurs in Fougères, France, before heading to England to cook at the Old Manor House Restaurant in Romsey, Hants. Over the next ten years, chef’s desire for adventure led him to experiences at Cambridge Beaches in Bermuda, the Sofitel Cambodiana in the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Novotel Benoa in Bali, Indonesia, and the Sofitel Santa Clara in Colombia. Before heading to Washington, D.C., to open Café 15 in the Sofitel Lafayette Square, chef Piel returned to his native France to cook under chef Antoine Westermann at the three Michelin-star Le Buerehiesel.
Mushroom and chicken crepes topped with tarragon velouté are served at ICI for $10. This recipe makes four large restaurant servings.
ICI is located in the Sofitel Hotel
Lafayette Square
806 15th St
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 730-8700
www.sofitel.com
Four servings
INGREDIENTS
Crepe dough
Béchamel sauce
Velouté sauce
For the crepe dough: Mix the flour, salt and egg together, adding the milk bit by bit until you get a smooth mixture. Add the melted butter and rest in the fridge for two hours before using. Add a bit of water if too thick. When ready, cook some crepes on both sides in an eight-inch nonstick pan. Reserve.
For the béchamel sauce: Melt the butter in a pot. Add the flour and mix well. Cook for few minutes without color. Add the milk and bring to a boil, gently mixing well. Season to taste and reserve.
For the mix: Roast a chicken breast. Sauté the seasonal mushrooms together with chopped shallots and herbs in butter. When warmed, dice the chicken in small cubes. Mix chicken, mushrooms and some béchamel to bind everything together. Fill some crepes that you are going to fold in 3 and then in 2 to get a nice purse.
The sauce: Sauté the shallots in butter. Deglaze with white wine, reduce, add cream, reduce, and add veal stock. Finish with herbs and seasoning until you get a smooth sauce.
The plating: Heat a pan and sauté the crepe gently with butter on both sides. Finish in the oven for few minutes. Sauté some mushrooms on the side with shallots and herbs in butter.
Display the crepes on top of each other, topped with mushrooms, then the sauce.
MANAGE YOUR RECIPES
Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a "Steal This Recipe" feature? Just e-mail Phil at Phil.Lempert@nbc.com (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.
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