Beggars' Purses

From the kitchen of Carly

Delicate crêpes kissed with brown butter and fresh chives, folded into little purses and crowned with cool sour cream and briny caviar. A simple dish that feels impossibly fancy, perfect for impressing without the fuss.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
n/a
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 15 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 11 cup whole milk
  • 11/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 12 large eggs
  • 11/4 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons chopped chives
  • 116 to 20 long chives (from 1 bunch)
  • 13/4 cup sour cream (preferably at room temperature)
  • 14 ounces domestic caviar such as osetra or rainbow trout

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and set aside 2 tablespoons for cooking crêpes. Continue to cook butter remaining in skillet until it has a nutty fragrance and is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Blend brown butter with remaining crêpeingredients, except chives, in a blender until smooth. Add chives and pulse 1 or 2 times to just combine. Let batter stand 30 minutes.

  2. Blend brown butter with remaining crêpe ingredients, except chives, in a blender until smooth. Add chives and pulse 1 or 2 times to just combine. Let batter stand 30 minutes.

  3. Blanch chives in a small saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds. Drain and plunge into an ice bath. Pat dry.

  4. Lightly brush skillet with butter, then heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir batter. With skillet off heat, add a scant 1/4 cup batter, tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets too fast, reduce heat slightly.) Cook until golden around edges, 15 to 30 seconds. Loosen with a heatproof plastic spatula, then flip crêpe over with your fingertips. Cook until underside is set, about 30 seconds. Slide onto a plate. Make more crêpes, brushing skillet with butter and stacking crêpes on plate.

  5. Top each crêpe, browned side up, with about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream and 2 teaspoon caviar. Gather crêpe around filling and tie 1 or 2 blanched chives in a knot to close purse. Trim ends of chives if necessary.