Tag: European
Russian Blini with Caviar
Russian Blini with Caviar
Looking to splurge a little money for an amazing appetizer? Well I have a recipe for you then! Russian blini are small pancakes topped with creme fraiche, caviar, and dill. The caviar I used is a Russian golden osetra sturgeon caviar. You can use any type of caviar depending on how much you want to spend. Another way to to top the blini would be to use cream cheese, smoked salmon, and dill. Both are good either way you go.
Servings: 12 Blini
Equipment
- mother of pearl spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 large egg beaten
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 oz caviar
- 1/2 cup crème fraiche
- dill chopped
Instructions
Blini
- In one bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, milk, and egg.
- Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Melt a tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Drop 1 tbsp of batter at a time per blini.
- Cook for 2 minutes a side. Let cool.
Assembly
- Drop a tsp of crème fraiche in the center of the blini.
- Using a mother of pearl spoon, scoop a 1/4 tsp of caviar on the creme fraiche , followed by a small sprig of dill.
Salmon Head Soup (Ukha)
Salmon Head Soup (Ukha)
I know what you’re thinking. Why would anyone want to eat fish head soup? Well, let me tell you something. There is a ton of meat within that fish head; creating some of the most flavorful fish stock known to man. You are also utilizing a part that gets thrown away by people who don’t contain the knowledge of its greatness. Sure, it takes a little effort to pick the meat off the head. But it’s well worth it.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 large salmon head
- 2 medium potatoes cut into 1” cubes
- 5 dill stalks
- 2 bay leaves
- water
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- cracked black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
- 2 tbsp dill finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes.
- Add in the potatoes, dill stalks, bay leaves, and salmon head. Fill with enough water to cover the salmon head. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the head, dill stalks, and bay leaves from the pot. Let cool. Pick apart the head meat, cheeks, eyes, and cartilage from the head and return to the pot.
- Pour in the heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper, and the chopped dill. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
Sicilian Anchovy Pasta
Sicilian Anchovy Pasta
This pasta is absolutely amazing and simple to make. Spaghetti gets tossed in a simple anchovy garlic sauce with breadcrumbs and parsley. The pasta is rich with the briny essence of the anchovies; the breadcrumbs giving it a nice texture that shows that not all Italian pasta is saucy. Really to me, it tastes like a caesar salad dressing without the mayonnaise; which is fantastic. One of the best parts is that it’s ready in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry spaghetti cooked Al dente
- 1/4 cup olive oil plus more
- 2 oz anchovies finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2/3 cup bread crumbs
- 1 cup parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the garlic and anchovies and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs.
- Add in the parsley and cracked black pepper.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the anchovy sauce.
- Toss with grated parmesan cheese. Season with more cracked pepper to taste.
