Charmant’s Twice-Baked New Potato Bites with Caviar

Just in time for spring celebrations, the husband-and-wife team of chef/Co-Owner Chris Borges & Co-owner/Sommelier Bonnie Borges opened Charmant, a charming addition to MidCity’s dining scene overlooking City Park. The new eatery channels the easy elegance of a European bistro, with modern European flavors executed with indigenous ingredients, a robust wine list, and a curated cocktail program.

The Borges offered some at-home suggestions to share with others for a spring fete.

The Expert: Co-Owner/Chef Chris Borges, Co-Owner/Sommelier Bonnie Borges, Charmant

“I would specifically pair this dish with a blanc de blanc because what doesn’t go better with caviar and crème fraiche than champagne? I’d suggest Clotilde Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru Brut NV. It is a low-dosage wine (meaning it has very little added sugar), so the subtler fruit notes and bright acidity really shine through. It has notes of lemon peel, fresh bread, pear, apple, and key lime, with a clean, chalky minerality on the finish, all of which provide a wonderful counterbalance to the richness of the dish. If you aren’t a fan of bubbly or super dry wines, then a well-rounded white wine like Escala Humana ‘Credo’ Semillon 2022 from Uco Valley, Argentina is your best bet. It has a vibrant nose of white flowers — gardenia specifically, light lemon zest and a wildflower honey with a soft mouthfeel. Rather than combat the richness of the caviar and creaminess of the creme fraiche, it will build on it, adding a new dimension,” says Bonnie Borges. Charmant, 514 City Park Avenue, charmantnola.com.

What to Drink with Twice-Baked New Potato Bites with Caviar: Clotilde Blanc de Blanc Grand Cru Brut NV

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Twice-Baked New Potato Bites with Caviar

Recipe by Co-Owner/Chef Chris Borges, Co-Owner/Sommelier Bonnie Borges, Charmant

5.0 from 1 vote

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

18

pieces

Ingredients

• 1 large russet potato peeled and roughly chopped and boiled in salted water until fork-tender.

• 18 small red new potatoes, approximately 2 pounds

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 6 tbsp crème fraiche

• 1 1/2 tbsp whipping cream

• 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

• 1/2 egg yolk

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/8 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tbsp finely chopped chives

• 1 oz Sevruga or Osetra caviar

Directions

• Drain the cooked russet potato and pass the flesh through a potato ricer. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350º F.
• Use a small, sharp knife to remove a very thin slice from the rounded end of each new potato, creating a flat surface so each potato can stand upright. Using a melon baller, scoop a cavity out of the opposite end of each potato to create a potato “cup.” Toss the potatoes with olive oil and roast on a baking sheet until almost cooked, about 20 minutes. When cool, put 1 teaspoon of crème fraiche in each potato cup.
• Increase the oven heat to 400ºF.
• Heat cream and butter together in a small saucepan.
• Add the hot cream mixture to the reserved russet potato.
• Season with salt, pepper, and chives. Let cool for a few minutes and mix in the egg yolk.
• Put the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (or snip a corner off a zip-top bag) and pipe a little of the potato mixture into each potato cup. Make sure you pipe enough mixture to create a “top” for each potato.
• Bake the filled potato cups in the preheated oven until the tops of each are slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Top each potato with 1/4 teaspoon of caviar.