Caviar has always been synonymous with elegance and celebration. There was a time when caviar was fairly reasonable to purchase and would make appearances at my special occasions with frequency. But in the last few years, along with so many hardships, the price of caviar has gone haywire.
I still love caviar, but rarely do I present beluga anymore. I am forced to fall back on it’s distant cousin, Salmon Roe. A bit fishier than sturgeon caviar, but still a delight. Salmon roe is certainly within the price range, my small jar cost me $15. To elevate it to elegance I served it up as Beggar’s Purses. Small pouches made of dill crepes are filled with creme fraiche and caviar all tied up with a scallion tie.
Served up perched on thin slices of lemon makes a dramatic presentation and a swank bit to accompany the sparkling.
The crepes can be made a day in advance but no further. It’s imperative that they be made as thin as humanly possible. The pouch should be delicate and refined- too thick and it feels too bready and clunky. Don’t be afraid to thin the batter down to a heavy cream consistency.
Beggar’s Purses
24 6″ Dill Crepes
4 oz Salmon Roe
8 oz creme fraiche
bunch of long stemmed scallion or bunch of chives
Lemons sliced paper thin
Dill Crepes
2c AP flour
3 large eggs
1c milk
.25t salt
4T chopped fresh dill
water to thin
*use a 6″ nonstick frying pan to make crepes*
In large bowl combine all the ingredients except the water. Stir smooth.
Add water in stages to create a thin, heavy cream consistency. The batter should then rest a half hour or so- the batter can also be made the night before and kept in the fridge overnight.
Warm a 6″ non stick frying pan over medium high heat.
I use cooking spray to grease the pan.
Place ~3T of batter into the pan and swirl to even out the batter.
When edges start to pull away and the crepe looks cooked in the middle, give the crepe a quick flip and cook for just 10-20 seconds on the other side.
Allow crepes to cool before filling.
Building Beggar’s Purses
First blanch the scallions or chives. In a pot of boiling water submerge the greens for 30 seconds, then remove them and plunge into cold water.
If using scallions make thin ribbons by slicing long strips down the length of the scallion.
Lay out a few crepes on a work board. Place a T of creme fraiche in the middle of each.
Using a separate small spoon put about a teaspoon of caviar on top.
Gather up the sides of the crepe pinching together to make a pretty bundle.
Using the scallion or chive to tie the bundle closed.
[…] Beggars Purses […]