Tiny, crispy latkes are the perfect platform for Marshallberg Farm's incredible osetra caviar
I have to be honest. My favorite way to eat osetra caviar is right off of a shell spoon. Second favorite? On a thin, Lay’s-like potato chip. But, if you are looking for an elevated platform for Marshallberg Farm's outstanding, domestically-produced, sustainable caviar, may I suggest making tiny, perfectly crisp latkes. (And to visit Marshallberg Farm’s sustainable aquaculture operation, which is tucked into the hills of North Carolina, just click here.)
The mild flavor of potato and the slight sweetness of onion heighten, but don't cover up, the caviar's rich and delicate flavor and texture. Topped with just a kiss of crème fraîche, this indulgence is quite frankly unforgettable. And of course, you should pair everything with bubbles for the ultimate treat.
The latkes are very simple and quick to make with just a few ingredients. The key is to wring the heck out of the shredded potato and onion to get as much moisture out as you possibly can. That’s what will make these guys really crispy.
One other hint: you want to keep your caviar super cold, so keep it in the fridge while you’re cooking and let the latkes cool down a bit before topping them with the caviar. If the latkes are piping hot, they’ll ruin the texture of the caviar and the texture is one of the key things that makes this osetra caviar so good.
When I made this batch of latkes, I ended up having a bunch left over and you might, too. Stick them in the fridge — they heat up nicely and are wonderful paired with apple sauce and pork or paired with eggs the next day for breakfast.
As if the caviar wasn’t enough, Marshallberg Farm also offers smoked sturgeon — find my recipe for a tarragon-apple-celery approach to cold, creamy sturgeon salad here.
Osetra Caviar with Crispy Latkes and Crème Fraîche
Yield: About 20 latkes
1 large russet potato
1 medium yellow onion
1 egg, whisked
salt and freshly ground black pepper
oil for frying
Marshallberg Farm osetra caviar
crème fraîche
| Preparation | Using the large holes on a box grater, shred potato and onion into a bowl. Don’t be tempted to use a food processor for this. It won’t have the right texture. Turn the potato-onion mix into a tea towel and head to the kitchen sink. Squeeze like mad. Twist the towel to wring every last bit of moisture out. You want the shreds to be dry and separate, so really do your best to get the mixture as dry as you can.
Put the potato and onion back into your bowl and stir in the egg, adding salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a large skillet on medium-high, then add oil to 1/4-inch depth. Using a dinner fork, put small, quarter-sized piles of the latke batter into the oil. Allow to fry to a golden brown on one side, then flip. Cook on the other side until crispy and brown. Remove latkes to a towel to drain.
Allow latkes to cool a bit and then serve topped with generous spoonfuls of caviar and a bit of crème fraîche.