I came across this amazing French party food recipe when I was in the Loire. I was staying at the gorgeous B&B of Rosemary Conquest, a former interior designer from the UK. As we sat in her incredibly pretty garden on a sunny summer day and relaxed, she suggested that we have a glass of Champagne and some nibbles before dinner. When she came out holding the most impressive dish of fresh, fabulous smelling ingredients my eyes widened and I knew that she had something special. Rosemary says she came across a similar dish when in New York at a bar where it used to be made for Liza Minnelli when she was in the house. Rosemary fine tuned the recipe, added French flair and voila, her caviar, eggg and cream hors d’oeuvre was born. She calls it Gateaux Foulque Noire, a type of bird that’s black and white – the two main colours of this dish…
It takes just minutes to make which is great if you’re the party hostess and it wows your guests – every single time.
Ingredients
250ml crème fraiche
100g caviar (or substitute such as herring roe)
2 hard boiled eggs
Chopped chives
1. You need a round dish on a stem as in the photo to really show this off but any dish will do in reality!
2. Start off by putting a layer of crème fraiche on the dish.
3. Then put a layer of caviar in a perfect circle on top of the crème fraiche, spreading it as thinly as possible so that there are no gaps, leaving an inch of the crème fraiche exposed all round.
4. Next spread a layer of very finely chopped hard-boiled egg using the same method as above.
5. Finish off with a smaller circle of very finely chopped fresh chives.
Everyone helps themselves, scooping a spoonful of the mix onto rounds of fresh cut baguettes or blinis – it’s completely delicious and packs a real wow factor for looks and taste and it goes perfectly with Champagne, wine and even beer! This is the perfect French party food to serve any time, any season.
