Holy Cow–Cornets with Salmon Tartare Are Amazing — Even I Liked Them!

I did it.  And I even liked it!  What a great party appetizer.  This is a definite keeper for our upcoming holiday party or our wine tasting party.  I was afraid the salmon would be too fishy for me, but it was light and delicate, and the lemon oil infused the perfect amount of light, citrusy flavor. (Is ‘citrusy’ a word?)

As you will see below, I was afraid I wouldn’t like the salmon, so, as a backup plan, I also made my favorite shrimp salad just in case.  And, well, yes…the shrimp salad was amazing in these flutes as well.

OK, so these cornets are a little time-consuming, but totally worth it.  I made them from scratch, following every step of the recipe with exacting detail.  They were crunchy with just a hint of sweetness.  The first thing you need to figure out is how to make the pattern for the round cornet ‘pancakes.’  I took a top from a coffee can and cut my circular pattern, leaving a tip on one side as a makeshift handle.

The cornets took a little longer to cook than the recipe states because they weren’t really browning like they are supposed to.  Once you get the hang of pouring and spreading the batter, it goes pretty quickly.  After baking for about four minutes, the flat discs are really pliable and easy to roll around the flute-shaped mold.  Needless to say, my fingertips were burnt to a crisp, but it worked.  You can store these for a few days in an air tight container, or just stick them in a bowl filled with rice or something similar so they will stand up.  Kinda cool presentation, huh?

I made the salmon tartare and red onion creme fraiche…easy enough.  Since I’m not the biggest fan of salmon, I also made a shrimp salad as an alternate filling. I have to say: these are the best tasting, coolest party appetizers ever.  I made a few extra and took some to my 80+ year old in-laws, and they raved about them.  But the biggest test of all was my partner, who devoured his salmon sample in a nano-second.  I guess that means he liked it?  The shrimp version was also a success.  Well, that’s proof enough for me…these cornets are now on the shortlist of appetizers for our next party.

Salmon tartare

Shrimp salad filling

In case you’re wondering why the shrimp filling was so good, here’s the recipe I used:

• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 T ketchup
• 1 dash of hot sauce (use sparingly!)
• 1 T chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp. celery seeds
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 rib of celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup of chopped onion
• 12 to 16 oz. of medium sized, cooked shrimp

Place garlic, mayo, ketchup, hot sauce, dill, celery seeds and salt in food processor and blend until smooth; Add shrimp, celery and onions and pulse until shrimp are chopped; voila! You now have the best-tasting shrimp salad mix on the planet.  Transfer the salad to a bowl and store it in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to 2 days.

Up Next: White Truffle Oil-Infused Custards with Black Truffle Ragout. Let me preface this by saying that as an unemployed, aspiring chef, purchasing black truffles and white truffle oil is definitely not in my weekly allowance or budget!

Michelin 3 Stars? Am I Crazy!? The Culinary Journey Begins…

Okay, perhaps I am crazy.  Perhaps I am a bit unfulfilled.  Or maybe I just crave a wild challenge?  In any case, I am about to embark upon a fun, scary, and extremely interesting venture as I attempt to cook my way thru the various cookbooks from three star-rated Michelin restaurants.  I invite you to follow me on this journey as I learn how to cook like a pro (I’m not one…but I aspire to be one), and what my loving, supportive and extremely daring partner has to say about each dish I create.  Here’s a little background about how this whole thing evolved in the first place:

This whole thing started because we were talking about a "bucket list."

Several days ago we were sitting in a bar and the topic of a “bucket list” came up.  I was saying that a good candidate for a bucket list would be to eat at at least one Michelin three star restaurant in your lifetime.  Since it probably costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 per person to indulge in this rare occasion (not to mention travel costs to get there, hotel, and the clothing to look presentable in these establishments), this seems like a perfect and very memorable event to add to anyone’s bucket list.  As the conversation ensued, we began to wonder exactly which restaurants were included in the three star list from Michelin.  Turns out that Michelin only rates the restaurants in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area.  Of the thousands of restaurants in these two culinary capitals, a mere handful of restaurants have earned this highest prestige.  In my hasty research using my handy iPhone, I discovered that French Laundry in Yountville, CA was among them.  Hmm.  How very coincidental–I just happened to have that cookbook! Well, as you can imagine, the movie “Julie & Julia” inspired my partner to say, “You should try and cook your way thru that cookbook!”  Interesting thought.  I am, afterall, unemployed, bored, looking for a creative outlet, and I’m certainly ready for my next big challenge.  (Secretly, I am also an aspiring chef ready for my first big break.)  Maybe this would be good practice?  Maybe this will end in disaster?  Will I fizzle out, or will I give this a true commitment.  Only time will tell. And voila, here we are!

So, grab your napkin, a clean fork, and a good dose of patience as this cooking novice attempts to climb the Mount Everest of cookbooks, The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller.  I should probably be shot for even trying this…

CHALLENGE: Cook my way thru the French Laundry Cookbook

My first recipe challenge: Cornets filled with salmon tartare and sweet red onion creme fraiche.  Ironically, I’m not the biggest fan of fish and I sort of detest onions, so we’re already off to an interesting start!  Like I said, I’ll try whatever the recipe calls for.  Stay tuned!