CHAMPAGNE AND CAVIAR EDIBLE MENU
Serves 6
This dish harks back to the Russian tradition of starting a meal with caviar and crème fraîche served on a potato blini. We re-create this tradition with our own fluffy potato blini topped with crème fraîche and caviar. We gild the lily by adding three different onion purees, of shallots, ramps, and pearl onions, to add sweetness and depth. Finally, the menu is printed on edible paper and fried onto a potato chip that is served with the blinis and glasses of Champagne for a luxurious beginning to your meal.
POTATO BLINI:
250 grams russet potatoes
75 grams (about 1½ large) eggs
60 grams (about 1½ large) egg whites
20 grams whole milk
20 grams flour
10 grams crème fraîche
2 grams salt
5 grams canola oil
SHALLOT PUREE:
200 grams shallots
15 grams canola oil
1 gram salt
50 grams water
RAMP PUREE:
75 grams ramp tops
1 gram salt, plus more for seasoning the cooking water
Sugar for seasoning cooking water
75 grams water
1 gram xanthan gum (see Sources, here)
PEARL ONION PUREE:
200 grams pearl onions
50 grams unsalted butter
1 gram salt
POTATO CHIP MENU:
Canola oil for frying
1 large russet potato
Salt for seasoning
TO FINISH:
Reserved shallots
Reserved pearl onions
2 ramp bottoms, cleaned and trimmed
90 grams crème fraîche
30 grams caviar
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Edible rice paper for printing (see Sources, here)
Printer and ink for edible printing (see Sources, here)
POTATO BLINI:
Peel the potatoes and cut into ½-inch dice. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepot, cover with 2 inches of water, and set over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Strain the potatoes and press them through a ricer into a mixing bowl. Add the eggs and milk and whisk to combine. Add the flour, crème fraîche, and salt. Whisk until just combined. Transfer the potato mixture to a squeeze bottle. Put the canola oil in a medium sauté pan and set over medium heat. When the pan is hot, pipe quarter-sized pancakes of the potato mixture into the pan. Cook for 1 minute on each side. You will need to make a total of 18 blini. Keep warm until ready to plate.
SHALLOT PUREE:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Peel and quarter the shallots. Put them in a mixing bowl with the oil and salt and toss well to coat. Lay them out on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and put half of the shallots in a blender. Keep the rest warm for plating. Add the water to the blender and puree for 1 minute, until smooth. Reserve in a squeeze bottle until ready to plate.
RAMP PUREE:
Rinse the ramp tops in cold water. Set a large pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil. Season generously with salt and sugar. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the ramp tops for 30 seconds in the boiling water and transfer immediately to the ice bath. Cool the ramp tops completely, squeeze them dry, and put them in a blender with 75 grams of water, 1 gram of salt, and the xanthan gum. Puree for 1 minute, until smooth. Reserve in a squeeze bottle until ready to plate.
PEARL ONION PUREE:
If necessary, peel the pearl onions with a paring knife. Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan set over low heat and then add the onions. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes, until the onions are tender. Remove from the heat, reserve 9 pearl onions, and transfer the remaining onions and the butter to a blender. Puree and season with salt. Reserve in a squeeze bottle until ready to plate.
POTATO CHIP MENU:
Preheat a deep fat fryer or pot of oil on the stove to 325°F.
Line a large plate with paper towels.
Use edible ink to print the menu on the edible rice paper. Use a paper cutter or sharp scissors to cut out the menus into individual bites.
Wash and scrub the potato with a vegetable brush. Use a mandoline or meat slicer to cut it lengthwise into six ‰-inch-thick chips. Trim the menus to fit the potato chips and press each menu to a chip. Fry the chips for 1 minute, transfer to the prepared plate to drain, and season with salt. Reserve until ready to plate.
TO FINISH:
Slice the reserved pearl onions in half. Slice the reserved shallots ¼ inch thick, so you have 18 pieces. Slice the reserved ramp bottoms ¼ inch thick, so that you have 18 pieces. Place 3 dots of each puree on each plate in a 3-by-3 pattern, forming a square. Put 1 piece of shallot, ramp, or pearl onion on top of each dot of corresponding puree. Arrange 3 Potato Blini on the plate and top each with a little bit of crème fraîche and caviar. Place the Potato Chip Menu in the center of the plate. Serve each dish with a glass of Champagne.
