Al Dente

An Unexpected Holiday Hors d’Oeuvre

In the contemporary American food scene, every chef has the right to incorporate a little of his or her own personal history into their food.  Today, most chefs’ repertoires are a synthesis of their training and themselves--their cultural background, the culinary customs of their hometowns and adopted places of residence, and anything that may interest them, all of it honed and refined through the application of time-honored techniques.

It wasn’t always this way.  I know, because I opened my own restaurant, Chanterelle, with my wife Karen back in 1979, although it often seems as though it was just yesterday.  Back then, French food ruled in even the most sophisticated and progressive metropolises such as our hometown of New York City.  A handful of chefs began tiptoeing into the land of experimentation, rethinking and reinterpreting the staples of European cuisine and, in time, weaving elements of their familial or cultural cuisine in as well.

This hors d’oeuvre, which appears in my new cookbook Chanterelle: The Story and Recipes of a Restaurant Classic, was conceived against that backdrop, a little bite-full that contains within its humble confines an amalgamation of my classical French training and my just-as-classical Jewish-American heritage.  The blintz isn’t made with a batter but rather with Feuilles de Brik (sometimes spelled Feuilles de Brick or Bric), a crepe-like wrapper used in North African cooking, which can be replaced with spring roll (rice paper) wrappers.  The filling combines smoked salmon with fresh to balance the flavor and texture.

This is an unexpected and witty hors d’oeuvre for Chanukah celebrations, and the caviar cream that serves as a dip makes it special enough to serve at other holiday parties, up to and including New Year’s Eve fetes. 

“Blintzes” of Fresh and Smoked Salmon with Caviar Cream

1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 cup diced (1/4-inch) sushi-grade salmon with skin removed (from about an 8-ounce fillet)
1/4 cup diced (1/4-inch) smoked salmon (about 4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
Pinch of kosher salt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons cold water
6 12-inch feuille de brik sheets or large spring roll wrappers
Canola or other neutral oil, for frying
2 tablespoons American black caviar, such as paddlefish

To make the caviar cream, put the cream, crème fraîche, and vinegar in a medium bowl and stir together. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to thicken at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. If it becomes too thick, stir in a teaspoon or two more cream to make it pourable.

Put the fresh and smoked salmon in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice and salt, toss gently, and set aside.

Prepare an egg wash by whisking the egg and water together in a small bowl.

Arrange the feuille de brik sheets on a clean, dry surface, with one corner pointed at you. Using a pastry brush, brush each one with a thin coat of egg wash. Place 3 tablespoons of the salmon filling in the center of each wrapper. Then, if you think of each corner as a compass point, fold the south corner upward and hold it down with a thumb as your pointer fingers fold in the east and west corners, encasing the filling. Roll the feuille de brik carefully and tightly away from you, sealing the blintz with a bit more egg wash if necessary.

Line a plate with paper towels. Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the oil and heat until a scant drop of water sizzles when flicked into the pan, about 2 minutes. Carefully place the blintzes in the hot oil and fry until crispy (the filling will be slightly undercooked in the center), 2 to 3 minutes per side. Use tongs to remove them from the oil to drain on the paper towels.

Use a serrated knife to cut each blintz into quarters. Stir the caviar into the cream. Arrange the blintz pieces on a platter. Serve hot, with the caviar cream alongside as a dip.

Makes 24 pieces, enough to serve 6

--David Waltuck

The Right Answer? “All of the Above” (A Trio of Purées)

When it comes to planning a holiday menu, professional chefs and home cooks have something in common: the first thing we need to do is make some big choices.  Personally, I find that deciding what to include or not include on a holiday dinner table is a more daunting task than it is the rest of the year because many people make very strong food associations with the holidays: there are certain elements that, for them, are almost essential to enjoying the experience.

Take, for example, Thanksgiving. After the turkey, stuffing, and cranberry relish, there’s perhaps no more expected element than sweet potato.  Some home cooks are happy to comply with this tradition, though they worry about boring the savvy “foodies” on their guest list, while others like to shake things up a little and surprise their dinner companions, many of whom may be delighted by a break from convention. 

So what’s the right answer?

In my opinion, it can often be “all of the above.”  In my new cookbook Chanterelle: The Story and Recipes of a Restaurant Classic, I include "A Trio of Purées" in the "Side Dishes and Accompaniments" chapter.  Comprising beet, parsnip, and sweet potato purées, this offering is one that I dare say will delight and surprise guests to your table from Thanksgiving--where it meets the sweet potato expectation, while adding two “bonus” components--right through the end of winter, especially because all three purées get along great with duck and venison, two of the most popular seasonal offerings.

In addition to presenting a range of complementary flavors, the trio of purées makes a stunning visual impression.  They can also be made in advance and kept warm (see recipe for instructions).  And, if you only want to serve one purée, either on plated, composed dishes, or family-style from a buffet, simply triple the recipe for that purée.