Salmon Tartare Cornets

Keller’s playful signature: savory tuile cones filled with red onion creme fraiche and salmon tartare, evoking an ice cream cone.

Ingredients

• For the cornets: 4 Tbsp unsalted butter (softened), 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 large egg whites, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds, pinch of salt
• For the red onion creme fraiche: 1/2 cup creme fraiche, 2 Tbsp finely minced red onion, pinch of salt
• For the tartare: 6 oz sushi-grade salmon, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp finely minced shallot
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp minced chives, plus more to garnish
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice, kosher salt, and freshly ground white pepper

Directions

1. Make the tuile batter: cream the butter and sugar, beat in the egg whites, then fold in the flour, sesame seeds, and salt until smooth. Chill 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400 F. Using a stencil, spread thin 4-inch rounds of batter onto a silicone mat and bake 4 to 6 minutes until light golden at the edges.
3. Working quickly while warm, wrap each round around a metal cornet/cone mold to form a cone and let set. Repeat.
4. Stir together the creme fraiche, red onion, and salt; chill.
5. Just before serving, gently mix the salmon with shallot, olive oil, chives, lemon juice, salt, and white pepper.
6. Pipe a little red onion creme fraiche into the bottom of each cone, then fill with salmon tartare so it mounds at the top like a scoop.
7. Garnish with chives and serve upright in a holder, immediately.

Notes

Adapted from Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry Cookbook; originally made with tuna, Keller now serves the cornets with salmon.