Potato Pancakes With Mango Serrano Creme Fraiche And Smoked Trout Recipes

SMOKED TROUT AND POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Soak the onion slices in a bowl of ice water. Cover the potatoes with water in a pot; add a pinch of salt, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly; pat dry.
• Meanwhile, whisk the creme fraeche, vinegar, olive oil and mustard in a large bowl to make a smooth dressing. Stir in the dill. Drain the onion, pat dry and add to the dressing. Add the potatoes and cucumber, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.
• Divide the watercress among 4 plates and add some potato salad to each. Flake the trout with your fingers and scatter on top. Serve with pumpernickel bread and/or pickled beets, if desired.

SMOKED TROUT, VODKA CREME FRAICHE AND CRISPY POTATOES

Steps:

• Cook the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the potatoes in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and stir to evenly coat the potatoes. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. While the potatoes are still warm, gently press down on each one with the back of a pan or the side of a knife so it flattens to about 3/4 inch but stays intact (it's okay if the edges crack a bit, as they will get extra crisp when fried). Heat about 4 inches of canola oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees F, fry the crushed potatoes, in batches, for 5 to 6 minutes, until they become golden and crunchy. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.
• Make the vodka creme fraiche: Combine the creme fraiche and vodka in a mixing bowl and whisk vigorously to whip and combine. Season lightly with salt. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Prepare the toppings: Carefully flake the trout fillets into small bite-size pieces. Fry the shallots: Separate the shallot slices into rings. Lightly dredge the rings in the flour. In a saute pan, heat 1/2 inch of olive oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and immediately season with kosher salt. To assemble, place a small dollop of vodka creme fraiche on each piece of potato and top it with a piece of trout. Garnish with the radish sprouts, chives and fried shallots. Season with fleur de sel and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil.

SMOKED SALMON ON POTATO PANCAKES WITH DILL CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, potatoes, eggs, and shallots. Pulse until everything is blended but the consistency of the batter is chunky. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a thin layer of oil. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the batter into the skillet for each pancake. Cook until lightly browned on both sides. Remove the pancakes from the pan to serving platters and allow them to cool to room temperature.
• To serve, top each pancake with a small slice of smoked salmon, then about a teaspoon of Dill Creme Fraiche, then top with 1/2 teaspoon of salmon roe in the center. Garnish with chopped fresh dill and serve.
• Dill Creme Fraiche:
• Stir all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Yield: 1 cup

POTATO PANCAKES WITH PINK APPLESAUCE AND CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Grate potatoes on large holes of a box grater into long strips over a large bowl of cold water. Drain potatoes, reserving liquid, and pat dry.
• Let reserved liquid stand for 10 minutes. Carefully pour liquid from bowl, discarding liquid but reserving milky residue (potato starch) at bottom. Stir drained potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, and salt into bowl with starch, and season with pepper.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat 1/4 inch oil in a large, heavy skillet until it registers 350 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer (or until a breadcrumb dropped into oil sizzles and turns brown in 15 seconds). Scoop heaping tablespoons of potato mixture, squeezing out excess liquid, and carefully place in skillet. (You may need to work in batches.) Press pancakes lightly with a spatula to flatten, and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Keep pancakes warm in oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve each pancake with a dollop of applesauce and creme fraiche.

AVOCADO PANCAKES WITH CRèME FRAîCHE AND TROUT ROE

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE CRÈME FRAÎCHE: Pour the cream into a glass container or bowl. Stir in the buttermilk, cover, and let the mixture sit in a warm spot until the mixture thickens to the consistency of sour cream, at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Cover and refrigerate.
• TO MAKE THE PANCAKES: In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade or the jar of a blender, process the onion until pureed. Add the avocado, egg, flour, baking powder, milk, salt, and pepper, and process until the mixture is creamy and resembles breakfast-pancake batter, about 4 minutes. Set a large, lightly oiled skillet over medium-low heat. Drop the pancake batter by tablespoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the heated skillet. Cook until the pancakes puff up, deflate slightly, and are lightly browned on both sides, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE PANCAKES: Top each warm pancake with 1 tablespoon of crème fraîche and 1 teaspoon of trout roe. Serve immediately.
• do it early
• The crème fraîche will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator.
• tips
• If you don't feel like making your own crème fraîche, most grocery stores carry it.
• Many high-end markets, such as Whole Foods and Central Market, carry trout roe. A number of vendors offer it online as well.