Yukon Gold Potato Blini With Eggplant Caviar Recipes

YUKON GOLD POTATO BLINI WITH EGGPLANT CAVIAR

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until potatoes are tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife.
• Drain and peel warm potatoes; press through a very fine mesh sieve. Immediately weigh out 9 ounces pureed potatoes and transfer to a medium bowl. Working quickly, whisk in flour and 2 tablespoons creme fraiche. Add 1 egg, whisking until batter is smooth. Add second egg, whisking until batter is smooth. Finally add the yolk; whisk until batter is smooth and well combined.
• Hold the whisk with some of the batter over the bowl. The batter should fall in a thick stream but hold its shape when it hits the batter in the bowl. If it is too thick, add a little more creme fraiche. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees or a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Working in batches and wiping griddle with a paper towel between each batch, spoon 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons batter onto griddle or skillet for each pancake. Cook until bottoms are browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn and cook on second side until evenly browned with a small ring of white around the edges, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small baking sheet and keep warm. Serve immediately topped as desired.

POTATO BLINI WITH CAVIAR

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200 degrees F.
• Stir together mashed potatoes, 1 teaspoon horseradish and flour; set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Make blini by dropping 1 tablespoonful of potato mixture into pan. Cook 2 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining potato mixture.
• In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, remaining horseradish, and dill.
• Serve blini by topping each with 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream mixture. Garnish with caviar.

YUKON GOLD POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round or oval baking dish.
• Slice potatoes 1/8-inch thick and combine thoroughly in a mixing bowl with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, the sour cream, olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
• Arrange potatoes in a neat overlapping pattern in the baking dish. Pour chicken broth over potatoes.
• Bake 35 minutes, until potatoes are nearly-tender and the cheese and potatoes are starting to brown. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake another 10-15 minutes.
• Garnish with thyme sprigs.

AMERICAN CAVIAR WITH CRISPY YUKON GOLD POTATO PANCAKES

Steps:

• Using largest holes on box grater, shred potatoes into large bowl. Mix in egg and next 4 ingredients. Transfer potato mixture to strainer set over same bowl.
• Add enough oil to heavy medium skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into hot oil, flattening with back of spoon to form 2- to 3-inch-diameter 1/4-inch-thick pancakes. Fry until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to paper towels to drain.
• Top pancakes with crème fraîche, red onion, and caviar; serve.
• *Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

EGGPLANT CAVIAR FOR POTATO BLINI

Steps:

• Halve eggplant lengthwise; score the flesh side of both halves, making a crisscross pattern about 1/4 inch deep. Sprinkle both halves with salt and place scored-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with a second baking sheet and place a heavy object (such as cans or a set of bowls) on top. Let eggplant render its excess liquid at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet and set aside.
• Rinse eggplant, pat dry, and rub with some olive oil. Place halves flesh side down on prepared baking sheet. Transfer to oven and roast until eggplant is very soft and skin is wrinkled, about 1 hour. There should be no resistance when tested with a knife. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.
• Scoop out eggplant pulp and lightly chop. Place pulp in a double layer of cheesecloth and tie to enclose with kitchen twine, leaving about 6 inches on the end. Hang bundle from a shelf in the refrigerator with a bowl set underneath or place in a colander set over a bowl and refrigerate; let drain at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• Remove eggplant from refrigerator and hold cheesecloth bundle over sink; twist and squeeze to remove as much additional liquid as possible. Transfer pulp to the bowl of a small food processor; pulse a few times to break up eggplant. With the motor running, slowly add 2 tablespoons olive oil through the feed tube; continue processing until the color and texture begin to lighten, about 30 seconds.
• Turn the machine off and add garlic, mustard, and salt. With the motor running, slowly add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; continue processing 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper. Eggplant caviar may be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

SWEET POTATO BLINIS WITH CURED SALMON, CREME FRAICHE, AND CAVIAR

Steps:

• Place prepared sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are tender and can be mashed easily with a fork. Drain well and return to the saucepan. Add the honey and 4 tablespoons of the butter and mash until smooth. If possible, puree this mixture in food mill. In a small bowl, combine the milk and eggs and stir in the sweet potato puree. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne. Add the dry ingredients to the sweet potatoes and stir until just blended.
• Melt the remaining butter and reserve. Heat non-stick skillets over medium-heat and coat with some of melted butter. Drop sweet potato mixture into skillets in 1 1/2-tablespoon amounts. Turn once, cooking until golden and crisp, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining butter and batter. The pancakes can stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Reheat in a 325 degree F. oven for 5 minutes before serving.
• To serve, arrange 3 blinis on a plate and garnish each with a slice of cured salmon, a dollop of creme fraiche and a small spoonful of caviar.

GRATIN OF YUKON GOLD POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round or oval baking dish.
• Using a mandoline, slicer or a very sharp knife, slice potatoes 1/8" thick and combine gently but thoroughly with 1/3 cup of the Gruyere, the olive oil, thyme leaves, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl.
• Arrange potatoes in a neat, overlapping pattern in the baking dish. Pour chicken stock over potatoes and sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
• Bake until potatoes are tender and the cheese and potatoes are starting to brown, about 45 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs as desired.

YUKON GOLD POTATO KNISHES WITH OSETRA CAVIAR

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook at barest simmer until a skewer glides easily through potatoes, about 1 hour. Drain potatoes, cool slightly and peel. Run potatoes through a food mill and into a bowl. Grate onion on the large holes of a box grater directly into bowl with potatoes. Season with plenty of salt and some pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup creme fraiche. Cool to room temperature. (Potatoes can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
• Set one wrapper on a work surface with one corner facing you. Spread scant 1/4 cup potatoes about 2 inches above bottom corner so that potatoes form 1-inch-wide strip that extends almost from one side of wrapper to the other. Fold bottom corner of wrapper over potatoes. Roll wrapper, folding in sides to enclose potatoes. When you get three-quarters of the way to the top, brush remaining edges with beaten egg and continue rolling to seal. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers and filling. (Knishes can be refrigerated, uncovered, for up to 1 day.)
• Heat 1 inch oil in a large, deep saucepan until very hot but not quite smoking, about 375 degrees. With tongs, add several knishes, and fry, turning once or twice, until golden brown all over, about 1 minute. Remove from oil, and drain on paper towels. Fry remaining knishes in batches.
• With serrated knife, trim a thin slice from either end of each knish. Cut each knish crosswise into three pieces. Arrange pieces, with one cut side up, on a platter. Top each piece with a dollop of remaining creme fraiche and a little caviar. Serve immediately.

YUKON GOLD MASHED POTATOES WITH HALF-AND-HALF AND BUTTER

Steps:

• Place potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt into a medium Dutch oven and cover with cold water over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender, 16 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Return potatoes to the pot, still over the heat. Cook until water evaporates and potatoes look dry, about 3 minutes. Move potatoes to a mound on one side of the pot. Add cream cheese, butter, and half-and-half to the other side of the pot. Cook until butter melts and mixture starts to boil, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer to desired degree of smoothness, 30 seconds to 1 minute; do not overbeat. Serve immediately.

YUKON GOLD POTATO BLINI

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a saucepan with cold water to cover by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked and tender.
• Peel the warm potatoes and press them through a tamis. Immediately weigh out 9 ounces of puréed potatoes and place them in a medium metal bowl. Working quickly, whisk the flour into the warm potatoes, then whisk in 2 tablespoons crème fraîche. Add 1 egg, whisking until the batter is smooth, add the second egg, and then add the yolk.
• Hold the whisk with some of the batter over the bowl. The batter should fall in a thick stream but hold its shape when it hits the batter in the bowl. If it is too thick, add a little more crème fraîche. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
• Heat an electric griddle to 350°F. Note, if you do not have a griddle, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Spoon between 1 and 1 1/2 teaspoons of batter onto the griddle or skillet for each pancake. Cook until the bottoms are browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Then flip them to cook the second side, about 1 minute. The blini should be evenly browned with a small ring of white around the edges. Transfer the blini to a small baking sheet and keep warm while you make the remaining blini, wiping the skillet with a paper towel between batches. Serve the blini as soon as possible.