Avocado Pancakes with Crème Fraîche and Trout Roe
These delicate, pale-green avocado pancakes come from my former big-city life as executive pastry chef at Anthony’s, owned by Tony Vallone, one of Houston’s top restaurateurs. The recipe for these savory pancakes was shared by a sous chef there, and I fell in love with them. We served them with crab and pico de gallo. In this version, I top them with homemade crème fraîche and trout caviar, a gorgeous, orange, medium-grained roe. (It is also more reasonably priced than many caviars and sustainably raised.) Incredibly simple, the pancakes must be made at the last minute and served warm.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 25 small pancakes
Ingredients
Crème Fraîche
Pancakes
Preparation
Step 1
TO MAKE THE CRÈME FRAÎCHE: Pour the cream into a glass container or bowl. Stir in the buttermilk, cover, and let the mixture sit in a warm spot until the mixture thickens to the consistency of sour cream, at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Cover and refrigerate.
Step 2
TO MAKE THE PANCAKES: In the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade or the jar of a blender, process the onion until pureed. Add the avocado, egg, flour, baking powder, milk, salt, and pepper, and process until the mixture is creamy and resembles breakfast-pancake batter, about 4 minutes. Set a large, lightly oiled skillet over medium-low heat. Drop the pancake batter by tablespoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the heated skillet. Cook until the pancakes puff up, deflate slightly, and are lightly browned on both sides, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side.
Step 3
TO ASSEMBLE THE PANCAKES: Top each warm pancake with 1 tablespoon of crème fraîche and 1 teaspoon of trout roe. Serve immediately.
do it early
Step 4
The crème fraîche will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator.
tips
Step 5
If you don’t feel like making your own crème fraîche, most grocery stores carry it.
Step 6
Many high-end markets, such as Whole Foods and Central Market, carry trout roe. A number of vendors offer it online as well.