Ingredients

  • corn cakes with caviar:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • clarified butter (recipe follows) or ghee
  • Caviar (we’ll leave the amount and grade up to you)
  • crème fraîche
  • thinly sliced green onion
  • clarified butter:
  • 1/2 cup butter

Method

For clarified butter:

  1. Melt butter over low heat without stirring; cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Skim off milky top layer, if present, and discard. Pour off clear top layer; discard milky bottom layer.

For corn cakes:

  1. In medium bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt until well incorporated.
  2. In separate bowl, whisk eggs and buttermilk together until well incorporated. Vigorously whisk in melted butter. Gently whisk wet mixture into dry ingredients until smooth, being careful not to over mix.
  3. Heat large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place small amount of clarified butter in pan. Spread to evenly coat surface. Pour 1 tablespoon portions of batter to form 1-1/2-inch-diameter corn cakes, leaving enough space between each so they don’t touch. Cook until golden brown on bottom, 2 minutes. Flip each cake over. Cook until brown on other side, 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter, adding additional butter as needed. Hold cooked corn cakes warm in 200°F oven until all cakes are cooked, or up to 1 hour.
  4. Serve corn cakes warm with caviar, crème fraîche, and green onion. Makes 8 servings (5 per person).

Make-Ahead Tip: Cool the cakes and layer in freezer container between sheets of plastic wrap. Label; freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, wrap frozen cakes, 10 at a time, between paper towels. Microwave on high (100% power) for 30 seconds to heat through.

About Chef Philip Tessier:
Philip Tessier is an award-winning chef, author, coach, culinary partner and innovator. He was the first American chef to ever place on the podium at the biennial Bocuse D’Or competition in Lyon, France, and most recently coached the 2017 U.S. Team to victory. He recounts this journey in his book, Chasing Bocuse, which launched in October 2017. Learn more.