Smoked Salmon Beignets with Brandied Tomato Sauce

Name: Smoked Salmon Beignets with Brandied Tomato Sauce
Yield: makes 24 beignets
Ingredients: 2 cups flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1 1/2 cups soda water; 1/2 pound smoked salmon (or crayfish tails), coarsely chopped; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1/2 green bell pepper or poblano, diced; 1 bunch scallions, chopped fine; 1 garlic clove, minced; 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon); Salt; Hot sauce; Vegetable oil, for frying; 1 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade (p. 181); 2 tablespoons cream; 1/4 cup ketchup; 1 tablespoon brandy; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or basil

December 14, 2011

Here’s one I stole from my friend, mentor, and sometimes tormentor from Louis XVI Restaurant, Daniel Bonnot. He taught me how to make these about twenty-five years ago. Beignet is essentially just a fancy French word for a fritter. In New Orleans, people have been known to subsist on beignets and coffee alone. This is not advisable. Feel free to substitute chopped crayfish tails for the smoked salmon—both versions are dangerously addictive.

Recipe notes

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