Mini Corncakes With Basil Avocado Spread And Smoked Salmon Food

FRESH CORN PANCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, stir together the fine and stone-ground cornmeals, the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 tablespoon salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and Sriracha. Stir in the corn, chives, and jalapeno pepper and mix into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until moistened. Don't overmix!
• Heat 1 tablespoon of clarified butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat until it sizzles. Drop 1/4-cup measures of batter into the pan without crowding them. Press each pancake very lightly with a small metal spatula. Cook for 2 minutes, turn, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until both sides are browned and the center of the pancake is firm. Place the pancakes on the prepared sheet pans and keep them warm in the oven while you cook the rest of the batter. Continue making the pancakes, adding more clarified butter to the pan, as needed. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm with a sprinkling of minced chives.

CORN CAKES WITH CRAB AND SMOKY AVOCADO YOGURT

Steps:

• For the avocado yogurt: Put the avocados, yogurt, cilantro, chipotle puree, lime juice and some salt and pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours to let the flavors meld.
• For the corn cakes: Combine the milk, butter and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook until butter has melted. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the corn flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne in a large bowl.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl until smooth. Add the cooled milk mixture and mix until smooth, then stir in the corn. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture until a batter just comes together. In a clean, dry bowl, beat the 3 egg whites until stiff (they should hold their shape), then fold them completely into the corn mixture.
• Heat some butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until almost smoking. Working in batches, make the cakes with 2 tablespoons of batter each, leaving a few inches of space between them as they spread quite a bit. Cook until browned on the bottom and starting to bubble around the edges, about 2 minutes. Flip the corn cakes with a spatula and cook until lightly browned on the reverse side, about 1 minute. Remove to a baking rack to drain.
• To assemble: Top each corn cake with a dollop of avocado yogurt, a few pieces of crab and some microgreens.

SMOKED SALMON & AVOCADO

Steps:

• Stone and peel the avocados, cut into chunks and toss in half the lemon juice. Twist and fold the smoked salmon pieces onto serving plates, then scatter with the avocado. Cover and chill for up to 1 hr until ready to serve.
• Mix together the tarragon, crème fraîche and remaining lemon juice. Drizzle over the salmon, scatter with the capers and serve straight away with wholemeal or soda bread.

MINI OPEN-FACED CORN CAKE AND SALMON SALAD SANDWICH WITH BELUGA CAVIAR

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a medium-size saute pan over medium heat. Add the corn, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper and cook, stirring, until the corn and shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Combine the eggs and cream in a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend well. Add the cornmeal, flour, masa harina, baking powder, cayenne, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the water. Mix well. Fold in the corn-and-shallot mixture.
• Heat 1/2 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, gently drop the batter, a tablespoon at a time, into the pan. You can cook about eight cakes at a time. Cook until the cakes are lightly golden on both sides, about 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Repeat until all of the oil and the batter are used up.
• For the salmon salad: Chop the salmon into small pieces. Chop the eggs and add to the salmon. Add the capers and caper juice. Mix well. Stir in enough mayonnaise to desired consistency. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the cakes on paper towels. Sprinkle with the Essence.
• To assemble, spread a tablespoon of the salmon salad over each corn cake. Place on a large platter. Top the salmon with the caviar. Garnish with chives.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium-size saute pan over medium heat. Add the corn, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper and cook, stirring, until the corn and shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Combine the eggs and cream in a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend well. Add the cornmeal, flour, masa harina, baking powder, cayenne, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the water. Mix well. Fold in the corn-and-shallot mixture.
• Heat 1/2 teaspoon of the oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, gently drop the batter, a tablespoon at a time, into the pan. You can cook about eight cakes at a time. Cook until the cakes are lightly golden on both sides, about 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Repeat until all of the oil and the batter are used up.
• For the salmon salad: Chop the salmon into small pieces. Chop the eggs and add to the salmon. Add the capers and caper juice. Mix well. Stir in enough mayonnaise to desired consistency. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the cakes on paper towels. Sprinkle with the Essence.
• To assemble, spread a tablespoon of the salmon salad over each corn cake. Place on a large platter. Top the salmon with the caviar. Garnish with chives.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

AVOCADO SALMON SPREAD

Steps:

• Season the salmon filet with the black pepper. Set a small skillet over low/medium heat, add the olive oil, salmon filet, shallot and garlic and cook, turning the salmon once for about 10 minutes. The salmon should be just cooked through.
• Transfer the salmon, including the shallot and garlic, to a small mixing bowl and allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
• When the salmon is fully chilled, use a fork to flake the fish apart. Remove the pit and scoop the avocado flesh right into the bowl, add the lemon juice and mash all together well. Stir in the cream cheese, chives, dill, salt and cayenne and mix well.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve with crackers, bagel chips or toast points.

MINI CORN CAKES

Steps:

• In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery and bell pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• In medium bowl, stir vegetable mixture and remaining ingredients except oil and sour cream until well blended.
• In same skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium heat. Cooking 8 corn cakes at a time, drop corn mixture into oil by tablespoonfuls, spreading each into 1 1/2-inch round. Cook 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds on each side, carefully turning once, until golden brown. Cook remaining corn cakes, using 2 teaspoons oil for each batch of 8 corn cakes. Serve with sour cream.

MINI CORNCAKES WITH BASIL, AVOCADO SPREAD AND SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Corncakes: In blender, puree the corn and milk until kernels are coarsely ground, about 30 seconds. Add egg, butter and basil and blend just a second or two, to beat the egg.
• In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the corn/egg mixture until moistened. Add a little more milk, if necessary, until batter drops easily off a spoon.
• Spray or lightly oil a non-stick skillet or griddle and heat over medium-high heat. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonsful into hot skillet and cook until browned on bottom, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn and brown on second side, another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Avocado Spread: Rinse, halve and seed the avocado. Scoop avocado into shallow bowl. Mash coarsely with fork. Add pepper, lime juice, cilantro, chives and salt and mix.
• Spread each corn cake with a tablespoon of avocado spread. Top with smoked salmon, garnish with chives and cilantro and serve.