Daniel Boulud, the celebrated chef behind the Michelin-star-bearing New York restaurant Daniel, knows a thing or two about holiday cooking. When we asked him to come up with a dish for Passover, Boulud took a page out of the Hanukkah cookbook and suggested we fry up a latke.
Daniel Boulud’s Passover Pancake
March 16, 2021
Ingredients
- 20quail eggs
- 1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
- 3scallions, trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 2large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1tablespoons minced chives
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1cup heavy cream
- 1bunch watercress (about 6 ounces), leaves only
- 6ounces sliced smoked salmon, cut into 1-inch squares
- 2tablespoons minced chives
Yield: Makes 40 Latkes
Preparation
Potato Latkes with Smoked Salmon, Quail Eggs, and Watercress
- Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath in a large bowl. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water and cook for exactly 2 minutes. Drain immediately, then transfer the eggs to the ice-water bath. When cooled, drain and carefully peel the eggs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate.
- Step 2
Squeeze the grated potato with your hands to remove the excess water; place in a medium bowl. Add the scallions, lightly beaten eggs, parsley, and chives; season with salt and pepper; and toss well to combine.
- Step 3
Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Form latkes that are about 1½ inches in diameter and ¼ inch thick. When the oil is hot, add some latkes to the pan. Cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes, then flip over and cook until crisp and golden brown on the bottom and tender on the inside, another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding olive oil as needed. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately, or reheat to serve later.
- Step 4
Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the watercress and stir until well combined; remove from heat. Puree the heavy cream-and-watercress mixture in a blender until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Refrigerate until cool.
- Step 5
Using a whisk or a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the watercress cream until it forms soft peaks. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the quail eggs in half lengthwise and place a half on each warm latke. Drape a salmon square around each egg and garnish with a dollop of the watercress cream and a sprinkling of chopped chives. Serve immediately.