Cornmeal & Shallot Madeleines with Creme Fraiche and Caviar

1/3 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream,
plus additional as a topping
3 tablespoons water
about 2 ounces of caviar

In a skillet cook the shallot in 1 tablespoon of the butter over
moderately low heat, stirring, until it is softened and let the mixture
cool completely. In a bowl stir together the cornmeal, the flour, the
baking powder, and the shallot mixture, add the remaining 1 tablespoon
butter, cut into bits, and blend the mixture until it resembles fine meal.
Stir in the egg, 1/4 cup of the creme fraiche, the water, and salt and
pepper to taste and stir the batter until it is combined well.

On a baking sheet heat 16 well-buttered 2 2/3- by 1 3/4-inch madeleine
tins (about 2 tablespoons capacity) in the middle of a preheated 400F.
oven for 2 minutes, remove the tins from the oven, and into each tin spoon
a heaping 1 1/2 teaspoons of the batter. Bake the madeleines on the baking
sheet in the middle of the 400F. oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until a
tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, turn them out onto racks,
and let them cool completely. The madeleines may be made 3 days in advance
and kept chilled in an airtight container. Top the madeleines with the
additional creme fraiche and the caviar.

Makes 16 hors d'oeuvres.

Gourmet


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