# Need advice on potato cones for caviar hors d'oeuvres



## saffron (Aug 19, 2003)

I am doing a catering event with hors d'oeuvres, seated dinner, and dessert. High profile client wants caviar on potato cones. I have manufactured already a chic tiered lucite holder for cones (which I use for mini ice cream cones and conical shaped hors d'oeuvres anyway)
Does anyone have experience making potato cones? Do I hand sculpt (ugh!) 300 pieces from cut potatoes and fry (reheated on location) or make some type of potato tuile? They do this hors d'oeuvre at the 21 Club in NYC if anyone has had experience there.

Thanks for your collective help.


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## bluezebra (May 19, 2007)

I googled savory cones and here's what it says about some of them. This is Thomas Keller's version. He uses a tuile.

Tall tales: Cone-shaped foods scale new heights
Nation's Restaurant News, June 19, 2000 by Amy Zuber
Agourmet-cone craze is pointing upscale chefs in divergent directions.

Some opt for sweet, while others go with savory. Some plate them upright, and others choose to have them upside-down. Several have gone so far as to design special cone holders for dramatic dining-room presentations.

Yet most chefs seem to agree that cones conjure up childhood memories of old-fashioned ice-cream parlors and appeal to customers who enjoy eating foods with their hands.

Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in Yountville, Calif, often is credited with resurrecting the popularity of savory cones with his signature comets, which are filled with salmon tartare and sweet, red onion cr[grave{e}]me fra[hat{i}]che.

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"It is amusing," the chef says. "It breaks the intimidation factor because people smile when they see it."

The comets are made from a tuile batter, which is rolled around individual cone molds and baked for about four minutes. Once the cornets are cooled, Keller adds the onion cream and shapes the tartare into a dome mold resembling a scoop of ice cream. The restaurant serves about 90 each night as an amuse bouche, or predinner course.

Keller's inspiration for the cornets occurred more than 10 years ago after he ordered an ice-cream cone at Baskin-Robbins. At the time he was looking to create a new dish for a function, something that could be eaten without silverware. But these days, the chef concedes, cones are in danger of becoming overdone.


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## tigerwoman (Jul 18, 2002)

we recently helped another caterer with a high end event in NJ and here's the idea I came up with to solve your problem and that I am planning on using on my next event as well

Make waffle cut gaufrette potatoes on the mandeline. Then shape around small pastry tips and deep fry. Voila - delicious cones that look attractive too. Of course you can just slice potatoes but what fun is that. 

you can nestle two tips together so that the shape is retained. We had about 50 tips to work with so the work went fast. This time we used wonton skins for the cones and gaufrette for an alternative presentation, next time we agreed to make the gaufrette into cones - prettier and tastier too.

Actually we served tuna tatare at that event, suspended over a smoking asian station in a very cool metal tray made of rings that held the small cones perfectly around the circumference while also allowing us to put gaufrettes of the tuna in the middle. The potato gaufrettes were much tastier and at the post party evaluation I suggested that we try using them as cones in the future rather than the wonton skins. We promptly went to the kitchen to try it and were quite happy with the results.

they can be done a few days in advance and held in airtight containers. 

my chef also makes tiny wonton cups in mini french molds (1/4 wonton square) that could be adapted to this presentation. We call them lotus cups because of the shape and use them as tartlet shells - eg asian chicken salad
or salmon tatar or salmon caviar.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

and the gauferette does not leak?

congrats on the article....photos were really good!


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## saffron (Aug 19, 2003)

Thank you bluezebra and tigerwoman.
I have seen and worked with tuiles of both savory and sweet for cone presentations. THomas Keller was right in that it evokes the childhood memories of ice cream delights. That is also why franks in a blanket and the mini sirloin burgers on brioche are also crowd pleasing whimsical hors d'oeuvres at parties.

Tigerwoman, just a few quick Q's...
were the gaufrettes the size of the small pastry tip?
how does the tip of the gaufrette cook or brown with it being wedged?
will it hold a bit of sour cream or will it ooze out and make a mess?
how did you lower or suspend the tips into the fryer for multiple cones?
Might try it with the bigger tips as the form bec I would like a bit larger size than the small pastry tip.

I'm definitely going to give it a go in the next day or so.

With Enthusiastic Gratitude to my colleagues.


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## tigerwoman (Jul 18, 2002)

you're most welcome


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