Black River Caviar Recipe

Prepare gelatin

Place 3 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the 2 gelatin sheets to bloom. Let sit for 5–8 minutes until soft.

Infuse milk with dashi

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup concentrated dashi stock. Warm gently over low heat until just steaming — do not boil. Remove from heat.

Temper egg yolks and sugar

In a heatproof bowl, whisk 5 egg yolks with 3 tablespoons granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the warm milk-dashi mixture into the yolks while whisking to temper. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk-dashi.

Cook custard (nappe consistency)

Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the custard lightly coats the back of the spoon (nappe) and reaches about 170°F (77°C). Do not let it boil.

Add gelatin and season

Remove custard from heat. Squeeze excess water from the bloomed gelatin and whisk it into the hot custard until fully dissolved. Add 1 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp white pepper, taste and adjust if needed (dashi can be salty, so adjust sparingly).

Cool custard

Transfer custard to a clean bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes). Stir occasionally to speed cooling.

Whip cream and fold

Whip 2 cups heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the cooled custard to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream gently but thoroughly to keep air. Do not overmix.

Freeze semifreddo

Spoon the semifreddo mixture into a loaf pan or silicone terrine mold lined with plastic wrap for easy removal. Smooth the top, cover, and freeze at least 6 hours or overnight until firm but scoopable. For serving, remove from freezer 8–10 minutes before plating so it softens slightly.

Prepare potatoes

After peeling and finely grating russet potato to yield about 1.5 cups, place grated potato in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much excess moisture as possible. You should remove most liquid to allow crisping.

Mix dough

In a bowl, combine the drained grated potato with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 egg white, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and optional 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives. Mix until evenly combined; the mixture should hold together when pressed. If too wet, add up to another teaspoon of flour.

Preheat waffle iron

Preheat a small thin-waffle or pizzelle-style waffle iron (or a small square Belgian waffle iron for a crisper grid) to medium-high. Lightly brush with neutral oil to prevent sticking.

Cook cookies

Working in small portions, press about 1–2 tablespoons of the potato mixture into the center of the preheated iron and close. Cook 2–4 minutes until golden brown and crisp — timing depends on your iron. Remove carefully and transfer to a wire rack to cool and crisp further. Repeat to make 12–14 small waffle cookies.

Optional shaping

If desired while still warm, drape cookies over a small rolling pin or the edge of a wooden spoon to create a curved canapé shape. Let cool completely to set shape.

Portion semifreddo

Using a small spoon or melon baller, cut quenelles or small scoops of the dashi semifreddo (about 1.5 tablespoons each). Keep semifreddo chilled until immediate plating.

Plate waffle cookies and semifreddo

Arrange 2 potato waffle cookies per serving on chilled plates. Place one quenelle of dashi semifreddo on each cookie or place a quenelle on the plate and top with the cookie at an angle for contrast.

Top with caviar and finish

Carefully spoon about 1/2 tablespoon (approximately 1 teaspoon per canapé; total 2 tablespoons divided across servings) of oscietra or chosen caviar onto each semifreddo quenelle or directly on the cookie. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon lemon zest evenly over the servings, drizzle 1 teaspoon chive oil or mild olive oil across, and finish with a few microgreens and a light crack of freshly ground black pepper.

Serve

Serve immediately so the potato cookies stay crisp and the semifreddo remains slightly firm. Each serving should present a cold, savory-salty dashi semifreddo contrasted with a warm-textured potato waffle cookie and pop of caviar.