Potato Chip Canapés with Caviar and Crème Fraîche

By Beleaev Family | Beleaev Caviar & Gourmet | beleaev.com

This canapé is the slightly more elegant cousin of caviar on crisps. Same logic, slightly more grown-up. Salty kettle chip, generous crème fraîche, fresh dill, generous caviar. Five minutes of work, total impact.

Key Takeaways

• Use thick-cut hand-cooked potato chips, plain salted only
• Crème fraîche must be full-fat
• Build within 3 minutes of serving
• 2-3g of [Oscietra](https://beleaev.com/products/royal-oscietra-caviar-copy) per chip
• Eat in one bite

The Ingredients

Makes 16 canapés

• 16 thick-cut hand-cooked plain salted potato chips (Tyrrells, Pipers, or Burts)
• 60g full-fat crème fraîche
• 30-40g Royal Oscietra
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 tsp finely chopped chives
• A few flakes of Maldon sea salt

The Method

Step 1: Sort the Chips

Pick out 16 of the most intact, slightly concave chips from the bag. Save broken ones for snacking.

Step 2: Top with Crème Fraîche

Spoon a small dollop (1/2 tsp) of crème fraîche onto each chip.

Step 3: Top with Caviar

Spoon 2-3g of caviar onto each crème fraîche dollop. Don't spread.

Step 4: Garnish

Add a tiny scattering of dill, chives, and a flake of sea salt. Serve within 3 minutes.

Tips for Getting It Right

Don't pre-build. Chips soften under crème fraîche within 5 minutes. Build in batches of 4 as guests work through them.

Plain salted, no flavoured varieties. Salt and vinegar, cheese and onion, BBQ all clash with caviar.

Brand matters. Tyrrells lightly salted is the proven winner. Pipers and Burts work. Avoid thin Walkers-style crisps which bend.

Don't overdo the cream. Too much crème fraîche makes the chip top-heavy and slips off.

Variations and Pairings

With Beluga: Use 30g of Beluga XXL across 16 chips.

With salmon roe: Use 60g of Wild Salmon Roe for the bigger orange pearls.

With smoked salmon ribbon: Add a small ribbon of cold-smoked salmon between cream and caviar.

Wine pairing: Champagne or vodka shots.

For more canapés, see our caviar on crisps and cucumber rounds recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between this and caviar on crisps?

Same dish, slightly more refined version. This one uses crème fraîche (denser) and dill (more sophisticated) where the original uses sour cream and chives. The result is a slightly more elegant bite.

Can I use thin crisps?

Not recommended. Thin crisps bend under the topping and lose structural integrity. Use proper hand-cooked thick-cut kettle chips.

How many per person?

At a cocktail party with multiple canapés, 2-3 per person. As a standalone snack, 4-5 per person.

Can I make these vegan?

Substitute the crème fraîche with cashew cream. Use trout roe or seasoned tomato pearls instead of caviar (caviar is fish roe, not vegan).

Further Reading

• Hand-cooked British crisps explained (Guardian)

The chip-and-caviar canapé is the surprising hit at any cocktail party. Discover Beleaev's caviar collection at beleaev.com.

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