Caviar Torte With Champagne Onions Recipes

CAVIAR TORTE

Steps:

• Mix the bottom layer ingredients and put in an 8 inch springform pan.
• Put middle layer on top of that; and then mix top layer ingredients and put on top.
• Chill overnight.
• Use a cookie cutter on top and fill with caviar to make a nice design.
• We used a heart shape at the wedding and filled it with salmon roe and made a nice design of salmon roe around the border-- one of our colors was orange for the wedding so it looked lovely.
• I've also seen this with small red caviar in the middle in a heart shape with black caviar all around the edges-- gorgeous.
• remove the sides of the springform pan to serve with crackers.

SALMON CAVIAR TORTE

Steps:

• In a bowl whisk together mayonnaise and butter and stir in eggs, celery, onion, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture in an oiled 9-inch springform pan and sprinkle evenly with scallion greens, chives, and dill.
• In a small bowl stir together cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Drop dollops of cream-cheese mixture over herbs and spread carefully (keeping herb layer intact) to form an even topping. Chill torte, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
• Just before serving, run a thin knife around edge of pan and remove side. Transfer torte to a serving plate and spread caviar over top. Garnish torte with dill sprigs and serve with toast points.

CAVIAR TART

Steps:

• Put 1/2 cup sour cream in a paper-towel-lined sieve set over a bowl, then let drain, covered with plastic wrap and chilled, 3 hours.
• Stir together remaining 1/4 cup sour cream, eggs, onion, butter, dill, zest, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon chives until combined well.
• Invert bottom of springform pan (so that turned-up edge is underneath for easy removal of tart) and close side of pan around bottom. Spread egg mixture evenly in pan with offset spatula, smoothing top. Cover surface with plastic wrap, pressing gently, and chill until firm, at least 3 hours.
• Spread drained sour cream evenly over egg mixture with offset spatula.
• Gently spread half of caviar on several sheets of paper towels to absorb excess cuttlefish ink. Carefully lift caviar from paper towels and spread on top of egg mixture (be careful not to smash caviar). Repeat method with remaining caviar. Serve cut into wedges and sprinkled with remaining chives, if desired.

ONION TART

Steps:

• Blend flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Scatter butter over flour, top with lid and pulse 12 pulses to cut butter into flour to a coarse meal consistency.
• Dump butter-flour mixture into a medium stainless bowl. Make a well in the center and pour ice-cold water into the well.
• Using a flexible plastic dough scraper instead of your warm hands, bring the dough together by folding and pressing. Be firm and brisk and get the dough past its shaggy stage into a neat disk, trying to avoid using your hands or too much kneading. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Meanwhile, cut the onions in half and peel them. Slice the halves with the ribs (root end to sprout end direction), not against, to create julienne slices rather than half moons.
• In a wide sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt the bacon fat and slowly sweat the onions until they are caramelized. Take all the minutes you need - 25 or so - to let them soften to translucent, then to let the water they release start to evaporate, then to allow the sugars they contain to start to brown in the pan, so that you end up with soft, sweet and evenly browned onions. This is achieved by a slow caramelization. Set onions aside to cool.
• Roll tart dough out to a 1/4-inch-thick round, and drape over a round 10-inch fluted false-bottom tart pan. Lay dough into the pan, gently pressing into the bottom, and roll the pin across the pan to cut off the excess dough. Use your fingers to press the edges into the flutes, accentuating the shape of the dough edge. Dock the bottom of the dough with the tines of a fork, weight the pastry with beans or weight and blind-bake for 25 minutes.
• In a bowl, beat the egg with the cream. Stir in the caramelized onions. Season with pepper, nutmeg and salt to taste. Stir well, and make sure the onions are all evenly coated with the custard.
• Remove tart shell from oven, and slip it onto a baking sheet. Remove weights, fill with the onion-custard mixture and distribute it evenly. Return tart to oven on the sheet, and bake for 25 minutes, or until custard has set, the tops of the onions start to achieve a deeper brown and the dough is dark golden brown at the edges.
• Remove from the ring, and allow to cool just a few minutes on the rack, so that the piping hot tart shell can kind of tighten up enough to be sliced with a sharp chef's knife. (In the first few minutes straight out of the oven, the dough is kind of soft from the heat, possibly giving you the false impression that you have a soggy tart. Let it sit on the rack just to shake off this initial soft stage and to recrisp and refirm, which it will.) Cut into wedges, and serve while hot.

CAVIAR AND CRèME FRAîCHE TARTLETS

Steps:

• Arrange tart shells on a serving platter. Spoon crème fraîche into a small resealable plastic bag and snip a 1/4" opening in the corner. Pipe about 1/2 tablespoon crème fraîche onto one side of tart shells and spoon 1/2 teaspoon caviar onto the other side. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.