CheLondon - eatdrink Magazine

№ 32 | November/December 2011 www.eatdrink.ca 65
Chips and dip can be served as an amuse-bouche when guests
arrive. There is something comforting about the familiar potato
chip, and pecorino Romano is a favourite of Chef James Walt,
Araxi Restaurant in Whistler. He likes the saltiness of the cheese
and its hayeld smell. Potatoes grow plentifully in the Pemberton
area, just outside of Whistler.
Recipe used with permission from Arazi: Seasonal Recipes
from the Celebrated Whistler Restaurant by James Walt.
Fingerling Potato Chips
and Pecorino-Chive Cream
8oz large ngerling potatoes (about 7 or 8)
12 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for deep frying
1 Tbsp Fleur de sel
1 Tbsp chives, cut in 1-inch sticks for garnish
2 to 3 fresh bay leaves, for garnish
PECORINO-CHIVE CREAM
1 2⁄3 cups whipping cream
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 bay leaf
1 spring fresh rosemary
7⁄8 cups grated pecorino Romano cheese
3 ½ oz goat cheese
2 Tbsp chopped chives
Potato Chips: Rinse and scrub the potatoes. Using
a mandoline, slice the potatoes as thinly as
possible. Do not allow the slices to break. Place
the potatoes in a large bowl, cover with cold
water and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Pecorino-Chive Cream: Place the cream, garlic,
bay leaf and rosemary in a small pot on medium
heat. Once the cream is hot, remove from the
heat and allow it to infuse for 20 minutes.
ONLINE BONUS:
Enjoy this holiday treat from
Chef James Walt’s acclaimed
Araxi cookbook
Combine the pecorino Romano and goat cheeses
in a medium bowl. Warm the cream infusion on
low heat, then strain it through a ne-mesh sieve
over the cheeses. Discard the solids, then whisk
the cream and cheese mixture until smooth.
Fold in the chopped chives and refrigerate the
dip for 2 hours, or until it becomes rm.
Finish Potato Chips: Fill a deep pot or a wok twothirds
full with peanut (or vegetable) oil and
heat it to 330°F (use a deep-fat thermometer
to check the temperature). Drain the potatoes
and carefully pat them dry with paper towels.
Fry the potatoes in small batches for 3 minutes,
until golden brown, then use a slotted spoon to
transfer the chips to paper towels and season
with eur de sel.
To Serve: Spoon the pecorino-chive cream into a
piping bag tted with a wide nozzle. Pipe a line
of dip along each chip. Arrange the potato chips
on a serving platter, garnish with the chive sticks
and bay leaves and pass the plate around.
Wine: Sip village Chablis or unoaked B.C.
Chardonnay, or some B.C. bubbly would be fun.