Remember dinner parties? Well, they’re back, and we’re all in! For your next party draw inspiration from a tried-and-true menu, the New York Bistro. This appetizer recipe for Latkes and Lox with Dill Cream has an ingenious twist – blackberry caviar. Marinated blackberries are the perfect tart and tangy topper to these crispy latkes. Homemade lox is deceptively simple to make. They key? Using the freshest fish you can find. Make sure to give yourself a day in advance for the lox to cure and use a fattier salmon variety like Atlantic and Sockeye.
Latkes & Lox With Dill Cream & Blackberry Caviar
Ingredients
Lox
- ⅓ cup + 2 tsp coarse sea salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 500 g skin-on salmon fillet
Latkes
- 3 russet potatoes peeled
- 1 small onion
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- sea salt and pepper for seasoning
- sunflower oil for frying
To Serve
- 12 blackberries
- 4 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp hot water
- 2 cups coarsely chopped dill
- pinch coarse sea salt
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 lemon
- 3 spears asparagus
Instructions
Lox
- In bowl, combine salt and sugar. Line tray with 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap. Sprinkle 1⁄3 of the salt-sugar mixture in centre and place salmon on top, skin side down. Sprinkle remaining salt-sugar mixture overtop in a thick layer.
- Wrap fish tightly with plastic wrap. Place another tray on baking sheet on fish; weigh down with 6 large cans for 24 hours.
- Unwrap fish; rinse off salt mixture under cold running water. Pat dry with double layers of paper towel. Using chef’s knife, thinly slice on 45-degree angle without cutting through skin.
Latkes
- Coarsely grate potatoes and onion. Transfer to sieve; press out excess water. Transfer to large bowl; mix in egg and cornstarch, and season with salt and pepper.
- In large skillet, add enough oil so that it’s 1⁄2-inch deep, and heat. Add 1 tbsp of potato mixture per latke, leaving 1 inch between each; flatten with back of spoon. Fry until golden brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined plates.
- In bowl, stir together blackberries, vinegar and hot water; set aside. Place dill in large mortar, add sea salt and mash with pestle into a smooth paste. Scrape into bowl; stir in sour cream and season with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Using vegetable peeler, shave asparagus into thin strips.
- To serve, top each latke with dill cream, slices of lox and 1 blackberry for “caviar.” Serve on platter with asparagus strips.
