Crispy Potato Pavé with Caviar – The Best Way to Serve Caviar on Potatoes

Potatoes and caviar are the oldest pairing there is: starch, fat, salt. Most people stop at a boiled potato or a crisp. I think the best version is a potato pavé – fifty paper-thin layers of potato, baked in cream, pressed overnight, cut into bars and fried until the edges shatter. Hot and crisp outside, soft inside, a cold spoonful of crème fraîche and caviar on top. It takes time, but almost all of it is waiting.

What is a potato pavé?

Pavé is French for paving stone, and that's exactly what it looks like: a neat rectangular block. Thinly sliced potatoes are layered with cream and butter, baked slowly in a loaf tin, then weighed down and chilled overnight so the layers fuse. The next day you cut the block into bars and fry them on every side.

Pavé vs. dauphinoise: both start the same way. A dauphinoise (gratin) is served soft, straight from the dish. A pavé is pressed, chilled and fried – so you get a crunchy crust and visible layers. For caviar, the pavé wins: the crisp edge gives the pearls something to contrast with, and each bar is a clean, single portion.

Ingredients for 6 as a starter (12 bars)

• 1.2 kg floury potatoes (Russet, Bintje or similar)
• 200 ml double cream
• 60 g butter, melted
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• a few thyme leaves
• 1½ tsp fine salt, white pepper
• neutral oil or clarified butter for frying
• flaky salt
• 200 g crème fraîche
• 60–100 g caviar – Imperial Baerii, or Albino for a special evening
• chives

You also need a loaf tin (about 23 × 13 cm), baking paper, a mandoline and something heavy to press the pavé – two tins of tomatoes work perfectly.

How it's done

1. Prepare. Heat the oven to 160 °C. Line the loaf tin with baking paper so it hangs over the long sides – you'll use it to lift the pavé out later.

2. Slice. Peel the potatoes and slice them lengthways on a mandoline, 1–1.5 mm thin. Don't rinse them. The starch is what glues the layers together.

3. Season. Mix the cream, melted butter, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the potato slices and toss with your hands until every slice is coated.

4. Layer. Lay the slices flat in the tin, overlapping, layer after layer. Keep them as level as you can – this is what gives you clean lines when you cut. Press down every few layers. Pour any cream left in the bowl over the top.

5. Bake. Cover with a sheet of baking paper and foil. Bake for about 2 hours, until a knife slides through the centre without resistance. Take off the foil for the last 15 minutes.

6. Press. Let it cool for 30 minutes. Put a piece of cardboard wrapped in foil (or a second loaf tin) on top, weigh it down and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.

7. Cut. Lift the block out, trim the edges and cut it into 12 bars of about 3 × 6 cm. You can do this a day ahead.

8. Fry. Heat 1 cm of oil or clarified butter in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Fry the bars for 3–4 minutes per side, all sides, until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little flaky salt.

9. Serve. While the bars are still hot, add a spoonful of cold crème fraîche to each, then the caviar, then a few chives. Serve immediately.

How much caviar per piece

Plan 5–8 g of caviar per bar. That's a generous teaspoon – enough to taste on every bite without hiding the potato. For six guests with two bars each, a 50 g tin is a good starter portion; a 125 g tin if the pavé is the main event of the evening. Less really is more here too.

Which caviar works best?

Imperial Baerii is my default for potatoes. It's nutty and clean, and the medium pearls sit well on a flat surface. Albino is softer and more buttery – on a hot, crisp potato it's remarkable, but keep it for an occasion. If you want colour or a lighter option, our Red Pearl salmon trout roe is bright and mild. It isn't sturgeon caviar, but it's excellent on potatoes.

No time for a pavé? Make the gratin version

Same ingredients, half the effort. Layer the slices in a buttered gratin dish, pour the cream over and bake at 160 °C for 60–70 minutes until golden. Rest for ten minutes, cut into squares, top with crème fraîche and caviar. You lose the crunch, but it's still one of the best autumn starters I know.

Our tip

Keep the potatoes under-seasoned. The crème fraîche is unsalted, but the caviar carries the salt for the whole dish – if the pavé is already salty, it tips over. And never put the caviar on a bar that's still sizzling. Thirty seconds out of the pan is right: hot enough for contrast, not so hot that it cooks the pearls.

Looking for more potato ideas? Our potato rösti with caviar is quicker and just as good.

FAQ

Can I make potato pavé ahead?

Yes, and you should. The pressed block keeps for up to three days in the fridge. Fry the bars just before serving.

Which potatoes are best for pavé?

Floury, starchy potatoes. They hold the layers together. Waxy potatoes slide apart when you cut them.

Do you serve caviar on hot potatoes?

Yes – that contrast is the point. Put cold crème fraîche between the potato and the caviar, and add the caviar at the last moment.