Paper Palate

Bon Appétit picked “10 of the year’s most delicious obsessions” to feature in the January issue. One of thier picks was American caviar; my favorite meal has always been snacktime, so I decided to make myself a little batch of their potato pancakes with caviar.

American Caviar – with Crispy Yukon Gold Potato Pancakes.

1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
1 large egg
2 T all purpose flour
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup crème frâiche
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
2 oz. American sturgeon caviar
Vegetable oil for frying

Using the largest holes in a box grater, shred potatoes into a large bowl. Mix in egg and next four ingredients. Transfer potato mixture to strainer set over same bowl.

Add ¼ inch oil to a large skillet and heat to medium-high. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls into oil, flattening into pancakes. Fry until golden, up to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels, drain, and top with crème frâiche (don’t be shy about it), red onion, and caviar.

I made a few modifications to this recipe. First, I sliced the potatoes with my mandoline rather than a box grater. This yielded a spikier pancake; I’d grate them next time. Second, I salted the pancakes immediately after frying – very important. Third, I used American Paddlefish caviar. It was the only American caviar available at my local market; it was olive green, mild, and so tasty I scooped out more than a few “testers” before serving.

This recipe was essentially foolproof. Of course, you could top corrugated cardboard with crème frâiche and caviar and it would be delicious, but the potato pancakes were crispy and light, so the topping elevated something that was already good into the realm of the ethereal.

Fortunately I was dining alone when I tested out this recipe; I effortlessly gobbled up the entire batch.

The other nine:

Grits and Goat Cheese Soufflé. I want this served to me every Sunday morning for brunch in bed. It would put an end to all my grouchiness – how could your day go wrong if it started this way?

Pork and Beans – Pork and Sausage Cassoulet. Not an easy recipe, but this cassoulet sort of looks like the best stuffing on the face of the earth.

Braised Meats – Braised Short Ribs with Chocolate. My family eats short ribs for Thanksgiving. My father is a short rib pioneer. This recipe gave him pause, but I could tell he felt the challenge. I wouldn’t be surprised it shows up for testing at Christmas.

Quinoa – Moroccan-Spiced Vegetable Stew. Quinoa has thwarted me before, and I know I should give it another chance. This recipe is spice-heavy ($$$) so if you’re experimenting for the first time and don’t have a fully stocked spice rack, you may want to try something simpler.

Fried Fish Tacos. Bon Appétit calls this an instant party, but if I were hosting I don’t think I’d invite anyone else. More tacos for me! This recipe includes tomatillo salsa, baja cream, guacamole, and pickled onions with jalepeños. Try not to drool on the page.

Spicy Herb Tofu in Lettuce Cups. The perfect antidote to holiday overindulgence. I’d bring this to work for lunch if I weren’t afraid someone would snatch it out of the fridge.

Whole Fish – Branzino Roasted in Salt. Salt roasting whole fish can seem scary and weird, but it inevitably turns out ok.

Jerusalem Artichokes Pan-Fried in Sage Butter. These tricky tubers aren’t artichokes at all. They’re the roots of the North American sunflower, and are sometimes called “sunchokes.”

Game Meats - Stuffed Rack of Venison. We don’t get much game meat here in NYC (pigeon, anyone?) but if you have some rack of venison handy, this recipe might be worth a try.