Cornmeal And Shallot Madeleines With Crème Fraîche And Caviar Recipes

AREPAS WITH CREME FRAICHE AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• Combine warm water and salt and stir until dissolved. Slowly mix in cornmeal until a sticky dough is formed. Divide dough into 8 equal portions and form each portion into a small dough ball. Roll out each ball to form a 1/2-inch-thick disk.
• In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon lard until it starts to move and pop. Add one dough disk. Cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove arepa from pan and place on a paper towel. Repeat with remaining lard and dough.
• Top each arepa with creme fraiche, egg, chives, shallot, and caviar and serve.

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.

SEARED BLACK COD WITH CREME FRAICHE, CAVIAR, TOBIKO AND BLACK TRUFFLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Season a pot of boiling water generously with salt. It should be as salty as the sea. Prepare an ice bath and season generously with salt. Add the haricot verts to the boiling water and cook until bright green and tender, but still slightly crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the haricot verts and immediately plunge into the ice bath and set aside.
• To the same pot of water, add half of the cauliflower florets and cook until very soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, transfer to a blender and set aside. Heat a medium sauté pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and sweat until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add half of the shallots to the blender with the blanched cauliflower. Add the heavy cream and creme fraiche, then puree until smooth. If the mixture seems too thick, add a bit more heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and set the cauliflower puree aside.
• Toss the remaining cauliflower florets in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt to taste, then transfer to a half sheet pan. Place in the oven to roast, tossing halfway through, until brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, to the pan with the remaining shallots, add the blanched haricot verts and a pinch of salt and toss over medium heat just until the haricot verts are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Pat the skin on the cod fillets dry, then season both sides with salt. Heat a large nonstick pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of another pan with some olive oil. Place the fillets skin-side down in the first pan, top them with the second pan and firmly press down on it for a few seconds. Cook until the skin is crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove the second pan, flip the fillets and cook until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter skin-side up and allow to rest for a few minutes.
• To serve: Put a spoonful of cauliflower puree on each plate and top with the haricot verts, roasted cauliflower florets and then the seared cod, skin-side up. Garnish with caviar, red tobiko, chives and black truffle.

SEARED SEA SCALLOPS WITH CRèME FRAîCHE AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Cook scallops until golden on bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn over; sauté until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels. Cool to room temperature.
• Top each scallop with 1/2 teaspoon crème fraîche. Top with caviar. Garnish with chives and serve.

FRESH CORN MADELEINES WITH SOUR CREAM AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• Make madeleines:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush molds with some melted butter.
• Whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk together egg, buttermilk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and corn in another bowl, then add to dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.
• Spoon 1 teaspoon batter into each mold and bake in middle of oven until madeleines are golden around edges and spring back when pressed lightly, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn madeleines out onto a rack to cool and make more in same manner.
• Top madeleines:
• Put sour cream in pastry bag (if using) and pipe (or spoon) about 1/2 teaspoon onto each madeleine, then top with a rounded 1/4 teaspoon caviar.

CAVIAR WITH HOUSE-MADE POTATO CHIPS AND LEMON CRèME FRAICHE

Steps:

• For the chips: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or a deep fryer to 350 degrees F and, working in 2 batches, add the potato slices. Turn with a slotted spoon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, season with kosher salt and chopped dill. Repeat with remaining potato slices.
• For the lemon creme fraiche: Mix together the creme fraiche, chives, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl. Serve with the potato chips and caviar for dipping.

BAKED EGGS WITH CRèME FRAîCHE AND SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees, and brush six 8-ounce ramekins or ovenproof custard cups with butter. Place the ramekins or cups on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until very soft, 7 to 10 minutes, reducing heat if necessary to prevent browning.
• Stir in 6 tablespoons cream, the crème fraîche, dill, lemon zest and remaining 1/4 teaspoon. Remove from heat. Divide mixture among the ramekins.
• Crack 2 eggs into each ramekin and float 1 tablespoon of cream on top of each, then sprinkle tops with salt and pepper. Bake until egg whites are just set, and yolk is still runny, 12 to 16 minutes. (The eggs will look slightly puffed at the sides of the ramekins, but still jiggly in the center and that's O.K. The eggs will continue to cook once out of the oven.) Remove from oven and transfer ramekins onto individual plates for serving.
• To serve, top each ramekin with some of the smoked salmon and a little more dill. Serve warm.

CORNMEAL AND SHALLOT MADELEINES WITH CRèME FRAîCHE AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• In a skillet cook the shallot in 1 tablespoon of the butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened and let the mixture cool completely. In a bowl stir together the cornmeal, the flour, the baking powder, and the shallot mixture, add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into bits, and blend the mixture until it resembles fine meal. Stir in the egg, 1/4 cup of the crème fraîche, the water, and salt and pepper to taste and stir the batter until it is combined well.
• On a baking sheet heat 16 well-buttered 2 2/3- by 1 3/4-inch madeleine tins (about 2 tablespoons capacity) in the middle of a preheated 400°F. oven for 2 minutes, remove the tins from the oven, and into each tin spoon a heaping 1 1/2 teaspoons of the batter. Bake the madeleines on the baking sheet in the middle of the 400°F. oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, turn them out onto racks, and let them cool completely. The madeleines may be made 3 days in advance and kept chilled in an airtight container. Top the madeleines with the additional crème fraîche and the caviar.