Potato Waffle with Salmon
Eric Frechon
Le Bristol Hotel
Paris, France

Traditional potato waffles — gaufrettes — are topped with pink smoked salmon fillets and garnished with caviar. They rest on a bed of tangy cream — crème fraiche seasoned with lemon juice, salt, and pepper — and grated eggs with minced chives. The combination is classic. Have everything ready; once you grate the potatoes the waffles must be cooked or the potatoes will discolor.

Serves 4

Tangy Cream
1 cup thick creme fraiche
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 hard-boiled egg
1/2 bunch chives, minced

Gaufrettes
2 large potatoes
1/2 cup cream
2 egg yolks
2 eggs
1/4 cup clarified butter

4 thin smoked salmon fillets
1/4 cup caviar

8 whole chives
4 leek leaf sections (optional)

To prepare the tangy cream: Mix the creme fraiche and lemon juice in a small non-aluminum bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Shell the hard-boiled egg. Grate the white and yolk separately. Toss together with the chives and set aside.

To prepare the gaufrettes: Peel the potatoes and finely julienne them with a mandoline. Put the potato pieces into a large bowl; squeeze out the excess water and drain. Add the cream, egg yolks, and egg and mix well. Brush a hot waffle iron with clarified butter. Put a one fourth of the mixture in the waffle iron and close. Cook until well browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and keep warm. Repeat to make all four gaufrettes. Alternatively, the potatoes may be shaped into cakes and fried until browned in clarified butter in a saute pan or skillet.

To serve: Fill a 5-inch ring mold with a thin layer of tangy cream. Spread a thin layer of grated egg and chives in the mold. Lift the mold. Repeat on all the plates. Place a potato waffle on each circle. Ruffle a smoked salmon fillet on top of each waffle. Make a quenelle of caviar and place on the salmon. Place two whole chives on each.