Potato Pave Tots with Caviar

Ingredients:

Potato Tots:

• 5 pounds Idaho® Russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced – 1/16 inch
• ½-¾ lb. butter, melted
• 1 bunch thyme, picked leaves only
• 3 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper, coarse ground

Sieved Eggs:

• 6 ea. hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 1 teaspoon shallots, finely minced
• ½ bunch chives, finely minced

To Finish:

• 12 ounces crème fraȋche
• 6 ounces The Caviar Co. Kaluga Caviar (or your favorite caviar)

Directions:

For the Potato Tots:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Line a ⅓-size hotel pan with parchment paper, and spray with pan spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the thinly sliced potatoes, melted butter, picked thyme, salt and pepper. Mix well to distribute all the ingredients with the potato.
4. Shingle the potatoes into the lined hotel pan, slightly overlapping each other. Repeat the layers until you’ve used all the potatoes. Pour any excess butter mixture over the potatoes. Cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
5. Place the hotel pan into the oven, and cook until the potatoes are tender but not overcooked, for approximately 40 minutes. You can check the cook of the potato by using the tip of a knife; the knife should pierce easily, with a little give when pulling the blade out.
6. Once cooked, remove from the oven and place another baking pan over the cooked potatoes, pressing the potatoes down. This is to create a tight potato terrine. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool, approximately 6-8 hours. Note: use caution to avoid spilling liquid over the sides of the pan.
7. When ready to serve, remove the terrine from the pan and cut into 1"x1" squares.
8. Place the squares into a fryer that is set to 350°F and fry until golden brown, approximately 3-4 minutes.

For the Sieved Eggs:

1. Using a food mill, with the smallest grate, pass the peeled hard-boiled eggs through the machine. Alternatively, if a food mill is not available, a home strainer can be used.
2. Combine in a mixing bowl with the minced shallots and chives, and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To Serve:

1. Place a small dollop of crème fraȋche on one half of the potato tot.
2. On the other half of the tot, top with the sieved eggs.
3. Cover the two halves with your favorite caviar and ENJOY!