Thomas Keller Weekend - Salmon tartare "Cornets" with sweet red onion creme fraiche

Prize: I will make this recipe for anyone who buys me 5+ cornet molds. It's a win-win, right?

These are difficult. They were annoying and fickle. But they were some of the best bites of food I've made at home in the past year. You don't plan on making a Thomas Keller dish because it's convenient. You make it because you want to be wowed - He doesn't fail to deliver here. The other three Keller dishes from this past weekend were good, but these cornets took the cake. If you're sadistic and overindulgent like me, you'll need the recipe:

Cornets
1/4c + 3T AP flour
1 T + 1t sugar
1t kosher salt
8T unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
2 large egg whites, cold
2 T black sesame seeds

These are a pain to make. I’m not sure if I have fingerprints after making only 8 of them. The cornets must be formed while the dough is still hot i.e. while you can still see the butter bubbling and still smell your skin roasting. Fun, right?

They also take extremely specialized cookware, which is less than preferable in my cramped kitchen. In the end (the very end, unfortunately) aluminum was discovered. You can crumple and form aluminum foil into cones instead of rushing out to sur la table to pay $4 for each cornet cone. They should look something like this.

Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the softened butter until completely smooth and mayonnaise like in texture. Beat the egg whites into the dry ingredients until completely incorporated and smooth. Whisk in the softened butter by thirds, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary and whisking until the batter is creamy and w/o any lumps. Transfer the batter to a smaller container as it will be easier to work with.

Preheat oven to 400F

Make 4 inch hollow circular stencil (can be done with a compass, cardboard, and a steady hand). Place on a silpat or parchment on the counter first b/c it’s easier to work with. Use the stencil to spread 4in, thin rounds of dough on the silpat. After you bake the first batch you’ll get a feel for how thick it should be. Repeat as necessary. Sprinkle each with black sesame seeds. Put the silpat on a heavy baking sheet and bake for 4-6m or until batter is set and you see it rippling from the heat. You don’t want to see much color on them at this point, lest they become unrollable.

Open the oven door and place the baking sheet on the door so the cornets stay warm as you roll them. Flip the cornet over on the sheet pan, and place a 4 ½ inch cornet mold (size #35 if you decide to buy them) at the bottom of the round. The tip of the mold should touch the lower left edge of the edge of the cornet. Fold the bottom of the cornet up and around the mold and roll the cornet tightly around the mold. This is not as easy as it sounds, and when I read it, it sounded really difficult. Leave the cornet wrapped around the mold and continue to roll the cornets around molds, leaving them seam side down on the baking sheet. Return them to the oven and bake for an additional 3-4 minutes until browned. Allow to cool slightly after removing from the oven before removing from the molds. Put on paper towels to cool. Allow the baking sheet and silpat to cool before repeating. Store the cornets for up to 2 days in an airtight container.

Salmon tartare
4oz salmon filet, finely minced
¾ t extra virgin olive oil
¾ t lemon oil (or extra olive oil and some lemon zest)
1 ½ t finely minced chives
1 ½ t finely minced shallot
½ t kosher salt
a little pepper (white preferable)

Finally something I know how to do. Cut the salmon carefully, and try not to handle it too much – your hands are hot and can ruin the texture.

With a sharp knife, finely mince the salmon fillet (NO food processors) and place in a small bowl with all the other ingredients. Taste for seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30m.

Sweet red onion crème fraiche
1 T finely minced red onion
1/2 c crème fraiche
¼ t kosher salt
a little pepper (white)

Place the red onions in a small strainer and rinse them under cold water for several seconds. Dry them and put in a small bowl with the crème fraiche. Whisk it together until the crème fraiche is fluffy. Add the other ingredients and mix. Put into a piping bag or Ziploc bag and refrigerate – this will make it easier to pipe later.

To finish:
Fill the cornets up to ½ in of the top with the onion cream leaving the bottom of the cone empty (but you don’t have to, the crème is so good). Spoon the tartare on the top and fashion into a ice cream cone like shape. Keller recommends putting a chive tip on the top, but I like the look of finely minced chives better. Your choice.

Also, if you don’t care about cornets/don’t want to mess with it, then just bake them flat and pile the stuff on top. Alternatively, you can mold them into mini muffin cups so they’re like mini tartlets. Tartlets of JOY.

Really though. Just get them in your mouth.

Still to come: "Coffee and Doughnuts" and Slow roasted veal shank + garlic potatoes, all compliments of Sir Keller himself.

Recipe: A+. Can't argue with it.
My Grade: A-. Wish I had some cornets.
Diagnosis: Beware your fingertips and waist line.