Chicken Soup with Dumplings and Meat-Filled Crepes

For the soup, peel and halve the onions. Peel the carrot. Rinse the celery, pull out the strings and  halve crosswise. Rinse the leek, halve lengthwise, wash well and halve crosswise. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and brown the onion. Add the remaining vegetables and cook until beginning to soften. Add about one liter (approximately 1 quart) of water, the chicken, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the onion and spices. Remove the vegetables, slice and return to the broth. Lift the chicken out, remove the skin, separate the meat from the bones and pick apart into small pieces. Return the meat to the broth and season with salt and pepper.

For the dumplings, beat the butter until fluffy, then alternately add the eggs and flour until combined. Stir in the salt and the crushed saffron threads. Cover the dough and let rest about 30 minutes at room temperature. Shape the dough using 2 dampened teaspoons and add to the simmering broth. Cover and simmer gently until the dumplings float to the surface, about 15 minutes.

For the crepes,  in a bowl mix together the flour, the milk and the eggs until smooth. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Heat the clarified butter in a skillet and drop the batter by 3 to 4 tablespoons portions, swirl the pan to form thin pancakes. In a bowl, combine all the stuffing ingredients and mix well. Spread on the crepes leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Fold 2 sides in over the filling, then roll the crepes up. Wrap in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, sealing all over.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the foil wrapped crepes, reduce to a simmer and cook until firm, about 15 minutes. Then unwrap, cut into slices and place it in the soup.