Saturday, May 24, 2014

FFwD - Smoked Salmon Waffles


Today´s recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group is "Smoked Salmon Waffles" or "Gaufres au saumon fumé".




These are delicious savory homemade waffles laced with pieces of smoked salmon and scallions and served with all the trimmings (crème fraîche, smoked salmon, trout roe, and fresh dill) - they are quite an indulgent treat for a special day.




Although I am the proud ownwer of many a waffle iron (heart-shaped, Belgian waffle maker, crespelle maker, etc.), I cannot remember ever having made savory waffles before. We do not have the habit of eating waffles for breakfast around here. We ususally enjoy them with tea or coffee in the afternnon. Sometimes I prepare buttermilk waffles and serve some Canadian maple syrup alongside, or Belgian waffles with a yeast-based dough, or crispy crespelle-like waffles like my grand-mother used to bake but most often, I will make heart-shaped waffles with a light dusting powdered sugar, my kids favorite.




I decided to use my beloved heart-shaped waffle iron for this recipe and simply added a heaping tablespoon full of batter in the middle of the waffle maker - so I would end up with mini waffles, perfect for stacking them up and serving them as appetizers. It took a bit of time to use up all the batter, it did make a lot of small waffles, but once all the waffles were baked, I was quite enamored with the way these waffle stacks looked like - very pretty.




The batter is simple and very quick to put together, no rest period required either - all you need is plain flour, baking powder, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, whole milk, eggs, unsalted butter, smoked salmon, a few scallions, and chives. After I took a look at the recipe, I decided to omit the scallions altogether and load up on chives instead and to add the smoked salmon on top of the finished waffles, instead of adding it to the batter. I just did not want to have my precious waffle maker to have a lingering smell of smoked salmon and onions after making these. And, in the end, I believe the waffles taste better and look prettier this way.




These savory salmon waffles have a nice golden color and wonderful flavor from the chives. They turned out a bit crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. Perfect.




When they are all dressed up with that lovely and decadent dollop of crème fraîche, a bit of vibrant and salty trout roe and some wonderfully fragrant fresh dill - they are impossible to resist. With these toppings, they do remind me of my mini Potato Rösti that I usually dress the same way, or some buckwheat blinis.




To see how much the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group enjoyed this recipe, please go here.

If you happen to own Dorie Greenspan´s "Around my French Table", you will find the recipe for these lovely Smoked Salmon Waffles on pages 170-171.


47 comments:

  1. Wow, diese Fotos sind ein Traum und lassen einem das Wasser im Munde zusammen laufen! Waffeln sind genial, ob herzhaft oder süß.
    Weil sie einfach so frisch schmecken. Danke und ein schönes Wochenende :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liebe Wally, herzlichen Dank - ich hatte vorher noch nie herzhafte Waffeln ausprobiert - sind aber doch ziemlich lecker und mit etwas Räucherlachs, Crème fraîche, frischen Dill als Topping und viel Schnittlauch und frisch gemahlenem schwarzen Pfeffer im Teig einfach ein ausgefallener Genuss.

      Delete
  2. Andrea, your pictures got me hooked! I love smoked salmon and your homemade waffles are stunning... it was a great idea, the result is a beautiful appetizer! I really like waffles too, either buttermilk or the delicious belgian ones (with crystallized sugar!) and although I've tried them savoury (with fried ham) I mostly prefer them sweet. However, this recipe has made me decide to give it another time, I has got to be delicious!
    Liebe Grüsse aus München und ein schönes Wochenende!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dera Inês, savory waffles were new to me but I did enjoy them and I certainly liked the way they lookes when plated - I will have to make them for when we have guests - see what they think - we all enjoyed them at home.
      Ganz liebe Grüsse nach München!
      Andrea

      Delete
  3. Your mini waffles with smoked salmon, dill, and roe garnish are gorgeous, Andrea. I especially love how the roe looks like little round jewels on top. Have a wonderful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Betsy, thank you very much - I just thought that the waffles tasted better and looked prettier if presented this way - my taste testers were all happy with this appetizer.

      Delete
  4. Your little waffles are so cute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gaye, thank you very much - I do have a happy relationship with everything small...

      Delete
  5. Very well plated, love the visual effect a lot….I am sure I would enjoy that plate of waffles very much:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jeannie, thank you very much - glad that you enjoy this post!

      Delete
  6. That plate is truly a work of art! Du bist ein kulinarischer Künstler! I love that your waffles are so thin - and, even though you used the heart-shaped iron, they remind me of stacked snowflakes! What an elegant meal for any time of day! Liebe Grüße! David

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear David, now that is one kind comment - honestly, I was a bit concerned about my heart-shaped waffle maker there for a while but all is well that ends well and these mini waffles turned out very nicely - Klara also thought that they looked like snowflakes. Thank you very much, dear friend!
      Und ganz liebe und herzliche Grüsse!

      Delete
  7. Fabulous photos Andrea. I'm just staring at them, so pretty! What a lovely lunch or appetizer this would make Andrea, definitely would be a hit at my house!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chris, these savory waffles were quite nice and the kids and adults alike enjoyed them as appetizers - this recipe makes for a very nice presentation indeed. Thank you for the kind comment!

      Delete
  8. Yea someone else who makes yeast waffles. Your photos are gorgeous. I don't eat roe but your pictures make me want too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diane, yes, we do make quite a few different waffles - love them, usually sweet though and Belgian yeast-based waffles are some of our favorites. Thank you for the kind comment!

      Delete
  9. My dear Andrea, these are so pretty and the plate is so elegant! Like David mentioned, they look like snowflakes. I'm not a smoked salmon fan, but I am huge waffle fan, moreso than pancakes. My kids and hubby love smoked salmon though and they would enjoy these so much (funnily enough, I don't mind roe :)) I adore yeasted waffles and they are my favourite. Have a great week, Andrea! Thank you for your very sweet message on FB. I appreciate your friendship even though we are miles apart. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My dear Nazneen, you are such a kind person! I certainly do hope that you are feeling much better now and that you take the best of care of yourself possible!
      Well, these savory waffles were new to me but the topping is one that we enjoy a lot with Potato Roesti or Blinis - the kids actually enjoy the smoked salmon quite a bit, especially when served with crème fraîche and fresh dill - their appetites/tastes never cease to amaze me.
      All the best and thank you so much for the wonderful comment - you made my day, dear friend1

      Delete
  10. we haven’t heard of this dish before but we love the look of it and the flavours sound wonderful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Candy, I had never heard of this recipe before I tried it either. But it is a nice change from the Potato Roesti or Buckwheat Blinis wthat I usually top with the same ingredients.

      Delete
  11. Your version is just gorgeous, Andrea. Love the photos and great choice to serve them with those lovely toppings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Teresa, thank you so much for your kind words - we quite enjoyed these minis as elegant appetizers.

      Delete
  12. Dear Andrea, such marvelous food clicks and a scrumptious savory way with waffles....those roe speckled beauties look like jewels studded with gems...beautiful,thanks so much :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kumar, so kind of you, glad that you enjoy the photos - in my opinion that rainbow trout roe is not only quite photogenic but added a nice salty touch to the topping which we quite appreciated.

      Delete
  13. You did a beautiful job on your waffles! Your presentation and photos are lovely, Andrea! I served salmon on the side, but also included it in the waffles. I thought these were quite delicious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kathy, you made minis too and topped your waffles with a bit of crème fraîche and smoked salmon as well - delicous choice is what comes to my mind!

      Delete
  14. How pretty! The roe is like little jewels. What a decadent, delicious treat, Andrea, and so beautifully presented.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hester, thank you so much - aiming to please here...seriously, for me, these lttle savory waffles just screamed for some attention!

      Delete
  15. I really lacked the patience to do the minis for this one but now wish I had and dear, that salmon roe photo is unreal. Made me want salmon roe and its not on my fave list at all. I ended up taking these back to breakfast but seeing yours I want to get that iron back out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trevor, the roe is a love/hate thing it seems...but it was nice with these waffles, it did add an enjoyable saltiness to this dish. And, yes, the batter made a lot of minis - the recipe did test my patience quite a bit.

      Delete
  16. Andrea,
    you are the DIVA of presentation.
    Exquisite delicacies. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kim, that is certainly a wonderful comment, my dear! Thank you so much - it makes me feel wonderful to know that you enjoy my presentations! How are the preparations for Kay´s Memorial Walk going? All of Saturday I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that the walk that you so lovingly organized will turn out to be a huge success for all those who participate and watch.

      Delete
  17. WOW! Look at the beautiful shape of your waffles. And, of course, your photos are stunning!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liz, thank you kindly, this was a bit of a challege for me but I loved making these and the kids quite enjoyed them as well.

      Delete
  18. Your waffles and presentation are just stunning! They look really beautiful and I'm so happy you enjoyed them. I did add the salmon (and scallions) to the batter and was so surprised at how delicious they were that way (I had salmon on top too...). I think your guests will be pleased when you have them for them. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Candy, thank you so much - the reason what I chose not to addthe scallions and the smoked salmon to the batter was just that I feared that my precious waffle maker would smell like fish and onions after I made them. So the topping of lovely crème fraîche, smoked salmon and rainbow trout roe seemd just right. These were delicious and we loved them.

      Delete
  19. Stunning! The photos, the themes, the colour pairings, the flavour pairings, closeups, cutlery, beautiful napkins.
    Andrea, your posts are so enjoyable to read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Colette, ah, you made my day, dear! So glad that you enjoy this post - it was a tad of a challenge there as I am so used to preparing sweet, not savory waffles.

      Delete
  20. These waffles are so classy! I love it :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathleen, thank you very much - gald that you enjoy these Smoked Salmon Waffles - they did look very pretty when I served them.

      Delete
  21. Absolutely stunning photos, Andrea...your interpretation of this challenge is perfect. I could see this being served in a fine dining restaurant as an appetizer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen, you are such a wonderful commentator - thank you so very much for all your kind words! Love them all!

      Delete
  22. Simply beautiful Andrea. I especially love the last photo - you are so talented!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And you are such a kind person Karen, thank you for that lovely comment!

      Delete
  23. Oh, Andrea - beautifully done. The stacks are just charming. I would love to come eat a plate of these with you :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now, Cher, that would be more than nice - maybe we could take the time then and chat a little...

      Delete
  24. I so admire your patience - both making all of these waffles and stacking and arranging them so beautifully. I made large waffles and I couldn't even be bothered to cut them into quarters :-) I'm also jealous of your waffle iron collection. I own a Belgian waffle maker, but I'm starting to wish I had a regular one as well.

    ReplyDelete