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New Year: Mashed Potato Swirls with Caviar

Source of Recipe

From "Cold Weather Cooking" by Sarah Leah Chase


Recipe Introduction

"These light, little potato puffs prove to be the perfect vehicle for indulging in a mouthful of your favorite caviar. Pass on a sterling silver tray to set the tone of the season's most extravagant party."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 6 medium baking potatoes
â—¦ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ ½ cup milk
â—¦ 1 large egg, lightly beaten
â—¦ 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
â—¦ 1 shallot, finely minced
â—¦ 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
â—¦ Salt to taste
â—¦ Pinch of grated nutmeg
â—¦ 1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
â—¦ 4 ounces caviar (whatever taste and budget permit)


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 425° F.

Prick the potatoes and bake until tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Let the potatoes cool for 15 minutes, then scoop out the pulp, discarding the skins. Press the pulp through a food mill or ricer into a mixing bowl. Beat in the butter, milk, egg, and egg white. Stir in the shallot and lemon zest; season with salt and nutmeg.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Transfer the potato mixture to a pastry tube fitted with a large star tip. Pipe twenty 2-inch round swirls (coils) in rows on the baking sheet. Use a small spoon to press a round indentation in the center of each swirl (large enough to hold a teaspoon of sour cream and a teaspoon of caviar).

Bake the potato swirls until crisp and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the hot swirls to a serving platter. Fill the hollow of each with a teaspoon of sour cream topped with a teaspoon of caviar. Serve at once.

Makes 20 swirls



• Note:
The potato swirls may be baked ahead and reheated in a 350° F oven 7 to 10 minutes before serving. They also make a stunning sit-down first course; allow two swirls per person.