The Classic Recipe

Prepare potatoes

Grate the peeled russet potatoes on the coarse side of a box grater. Place grated potato in a large bowl of cold water and swish to remove surface starch. Let sit 2 minutes, then drain and rinse. Transfer potatoes to a clean kitchen towel or several layers of paper towels and squeeze out as much moisture as possible until nearly dry (important for crispness).

Season and form

Place the squeezed grated potato in a bowl and mix with melted butter, 1 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, and 1 tablespoon finely sliced chives. Toss to combine. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly oil a standard 12-cup muffin tin or use a mini muffin tin for bite-size portions.

Build cups

Press about 2 tablespoons (packed) of the grated potato mixture into each muffin cup, creating a well in the center and covering sides to form a cup shape. Spray or brush the exposed potato surfaces with a little vegetable oil to promote browning.

Bake and crisp

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then switch the oven to broil (high) and broil for 2–4 minutes, watching carefully, until edges are deep golden brown and crisply textured. Remove from oven and let cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Alternatively, for extra crispness, finish by shallow-frying: heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and fry each cup 1 minute per side until golden, then drain on paper towels.

While the potato cups bake, combine 3 tablespoons crème fraîche, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and taste; adjust salt or lemon to preference. Chill until ready to use.

Place each cooled crispy potato cup on a serving platter. Pipe or spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of the crème fraîche mixture into each cup (adjust so total crème fraîche used matches number of cups — this recipe yields roughly 12 standard cups; scale as needed).

Using a small spoon, gently divide the 28 g caviar among the prepared cups (approximately 2–3 g per cup if making ~12). For presentation, place a small quenelle or mound of caviar on top of the crème fraîche in each cup. Handle caviar gently and keep chilled until last moment.

Garnish each with a pinch of finely sliced chives or a few microgreens. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side so guests can add a tiny squeeze if desired.