Baby Buckwheat Popovers With Pressed Caviar Food

POPOVERS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Generously grease aluminum popover pans or Pyrex custard cups with softened butter. You'll need enough pans to make 12 popovers. Place the pans in the oven for exactly 2 minutes to preheat. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth. The batter will be thin. Fill the popover pans less than half full and bake for exactly 30 minutes. Do not peek.

BUCKWHEAT POPOVERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush cups of a popover pan (or muffin tin) with butter or coat with cooking spray.
• In a large measuring pitcher with a spout (this makes pouring easier later), or in a bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, butter, sugar and salt until frothy. Add flours and whisk until mostly smooth, though a few clumps may remain in batter, which is fine. (If you prefer you can mix everything together in a blender instead of a bowl.)
• Pour batter into prepared cups. Bake 20 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees and bake another 20 minutes until popovers are golden brown and puffed. (Reduce baking time by 5 minutes if using a muffin tin.) Keep tabs on their progress by looking through the window in the oven door. Do not open the oven door until the last 5 minutes of baking or they won't puff. Serve warm.

ROASTED BABY POTATOES WITH EGGPLANT CAVIAR AND CREME FRAICHE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set a cooling rack into a baking sheet.
• Halve the eggplant lengthwise and score the flesh by making three long cuts down the middle and sides, making sure not to pierce the skin. Salt the eggplant and then place it
• cut-side down on the prepared cooling rack for 30 minutes to release moisture.
• Turn the eggplant over and remove the cooling rack. Using paper towels, dry the eggplant and the baking sheet of any moisture. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes and place back on the baking sheet. Scatter the garlic cloves among the eggplant. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika and some salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast until the eggplant is completely soft and browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool.
• Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
• Lightly oil a baking sheet. Toss the potatoes in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Place the potatoes cut-side down on the oiled baking sheet and roast until tender, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Scrape the cooled eggplant into the bowl of a food processor and squeeze the roasted garlic out of its peels into the food processor. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, mint and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and puree until smooth. Add the shallot and tomato and pulse to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
• To serve, scoop out a cavity in each potato half with a paring knife or small spoon. Fill with the "eggplant caviar" and top with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.

POPOVERS

Steps:

• If eggs and milk are cold, before combining, submerge whole eggs in warm water 10 minutes and heat milk until just warm. Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a nonstick popover pan on rack in lowest position.
• After you have combined eggs and milk in a large bowl, whisk together until very frothy. This should only take about 1 minute. Have the flour and salt measured out and ready to go.
• Add flour and salt to egg mixture. We tested out a blender and an electric stand mixer when making the batter, but concluded that whisking by hand produces the most tender, airy popovers.
• Whisk flour and salt into egg mixture just until batter is the consistency of heavy cream with some small lumps remaining. See those air bubbles? They are what will cause the popovers to rise.
• Remove popover pan from oven and coat with cooking spray. If you prefer a standard muffin tin, only coat (and fill) the outer cups; they get better circulation in the oven. (Also, reduce baking time by 5 minutes.)
• Fill popover cups about three-quarters full with batter. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue to bake until golden brown and dry to the touch, about 20 minutes more.
• Popovers lose their crunch if they linger in the pan, so turn them out on a wire rack immediately and poke a small opening in the side of each with a paring knife to let the steam escape. Serve right away.

POPOVERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle a teaspoon or so of melted butter in each cup of a 12-cup muffin pan or a popover tin and put it in oven while you make batter.
• Beat together the eggs, milk, 1 tablespoon butter, sugar and salt. Beat in the flour a little bit at a time and add thyme if using; mixture should be smooth.
• Carefully remove muffin tin from oven and fill each cup about halfway. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 15 minutes more, or until popovers are puffed and browned. Do not check popovers until they have baked for a total of 30 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and serve hot.

BABY BUCKWHEAT POPOVERS WITH PRESSED CAVIAR

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush four dozen miniature muffin cups with melted butter.
• Place the milk, cream, flour, salt, eggs and lemon rind in a blender or food processor and process until very smooth. Pour this batter into the muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake about 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
• Immediately split open the popovers and fill each with a teaspoon of creme fraiche and a dab of caviar. Serve at once.