Here is a fun hors'd’oeuvre that really packs a lot of punch in a single bite. The technique is from Alinea cookbook where they have their puffed cracker. I took that idea and some ingredients that I had on hand and tried to make a dish out of it. The results were great. Ivory salmon which I cured a really long time. Radishes that I fermented in a sous vide bag. Tzatziki sauce which I actually filled the cracker with. Finished the dish with celery leaves, pea sprouts, and bottarga (dried fish roe). This could be a great appetizer for the spring. Here is the recipe I hope you enjoy it.
Puffed cracker dough
215g Water
13g Fresh Yeast
4 g Sugar
235g AP Flour
235g Rye Flour
4 g Salt
55g melted butter
Salt on top
1 Fillet Ivory Salmon Cured ( Recipe Here )
1 bunch of red radishes
1 tbsp of kosher salt
1 sous vide bag
1 Bottarga
Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup of greek yogurt
1/2 english cucumber brunoise
1/2 lemon juiced and zested
2 tbsp of dill chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Cracker
In a stand mixer mix water, sugar, yeast. Add flour butter and salt. With hook on low speed beat for 6 minutes until the dough forms a firm ball. Rest the dough for 25 minutes then refrigerate overnight. Take out let it come to room temperature. Cut into 4 parts, using pasta machine roll out 1/16 inches or to number 3 on a kitchen aid pasta machine. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut into bit size squares. Bake 6 min. Puffed and golden brown. Once cooled completely take a small knife or meat thermometer and make a small hole in the top of the cracker and set aside.
For the Tzatziki
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place in a squirt bottle and keep cold
For the Salmon (see Recipe ) You can do this cure in 24 hours. I did mine for a week because I went out of town and then came back. The texture will be much different the longer you leave the cure on.
For the Radishes (done at least 5 days in advance)
Place salt and radishes together in a cryovac bag seal air tight. Then leave in a window for 5 days. Flip the bag over once day to distribute the juices evenly. Then place in a refrigerator until ready to use.
To Finish,
Take crackers and fill the hole in the cracker with tzatziki sauce using the squirt bottle. Then take the salmon and slice thin. Place one slice on top of the cracker covering up the hole. Take the radish and slice it thin and place on top. Finish the appetizer with celery leaf, pea sprout, and grated bottarga. Serve and enjoy!
You can check out reviews on stand mixers here
