Crisp Potato Galettes with Smoked Salmon and Dill Crème Fraîche

In a small mixing bowl, combine the chilled crème fraîche, finely chopped dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, fine sea salt, and white pepper. Whisk gently until smooth and evenly tinted with herbs. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the rest. The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead.

Peel the russet potatoes. Working over a large mixing bowl, shred them on the large holes of a box grater. Submerge the shreds immediately in cold water and swish vigorously to rinse away surface starch, then drain. Repeat the rinse once more until the water runs nearly clear.

Transfer the rinsed shreds to a clean kitchen towel, gather the corners, and twist firmly over the sink to extract as much moisture as possible. You should be able to remove at least a third of the original weight. Return the dried shreds to the bowl and toss with the fine sea salt and white pepper. The salt will begin to draw out any remaining moisture.

Set a wire rack over a sheet pan and place it in a 95°C (200°F) oven to hold the finished galettes. Place the 25 cm non-stick skillet over medium heat and add half the butter with all of the neutral oil. Heat until the butter foams and the foam subsides, about 175°C (350°F); a shred dropped in should sizzle immediately.

Pile about 120 g of the seasoned potato shreds into the hot skillet and use a silicone spatula to press them into a tight, even round about 13 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick. Press firmly so the shreds knit together; a loose galette will fall apart when flipped.

Sauté the first side over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes, adjusting the burner as needed, until the underside is deep golden brown and crisp. Peek at the edge with a spatula to check the color before attempting to flip.

Add the remaining butter to the pan, then flip the galette using a thin spatula (or slide it onto a plate and invert back into the pan). Sauté the second side for 5 to 6 minutes, pressing gently to flatten, until equally golden and crisp and the shreds feel tender at the center.

Transfer the finished galette to the rack in the warm oven to stay crisp while you cook the remaining three. Repeat steps 5 through 7, adding fresh butter and oil as needed and wiping out any burnt bits between batches.

Wipe out the skillet. Crack the room-temperature eggs into a small mixing bowl, add the fine sea salt, and whisk just until the yolks and whites are evenly combined; do not aerate. Cold eggs will seize on contact with the pan and turn rubbery, so plan ahead.

Place the skillet over low heat (around 65 to 75°C / 150 to 170°F) and add 20 g of the butter. When the foam just subsides, pour in the eggs. Stir constantly with the silicone spatula in small figure-eights, scraping the corners and folding curds back into the center, for 3 to 4 minutes.

When the eggs are nearly set but still glossy and slightly wet on the surface, pull the pan off the heat. Fold in the remaining 10 g of butter, the 30 g of crème fraîche, and the minced chives. The residual heat will finish the curds to a silken, just-cooked texture. Season with white pepper and a taste for salt.

Place one warm potato galette on each of four warmed plates. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of the dill crème fraîche across the center of each galette and spread it just to the edges. Drape 60 g of the smoked salmon over the sauce in loose, irregular folds so the coral and silver flesh catches the light.

Divide the scrambled eggs among the four plates, mounding them gently atop the salmon. Add another small spoonful of crème fraîche beside the eggs. Sprinkle with the snipped chives and a few dill fronds.

Just before serving, spoon about 15 g of salmon caviar over the eggs and salmon so the pearls glisten. Finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt, a twist of white pepper, and a lemon wedge on the side. Serve immediately while the galette is hot and crisp against the cool salmon and silky eggs.