for Dave

Dave adores smoked salmon. This is a dish I make for him every now and again and I’m always on the lookout for new ideas. I recently found an intriguing salad, featuring smoked salmon, in an old Gourmet magazine that I’m going to give a try. I will let you know how it turned out in a day or two… until then, I give you this classic – which we enjoyed with our Roasted Silkie Chicken a few nights ago.

Smoked Salmon-Stuffed Potatoes

8 small Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes
Olive oil
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 green onions, white and green parts minced separately, divided
4 ounces smoked salmon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place two potatoes on a small sheet of foil, rub each with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, wrap tightly, and repeat with the remaining potatoes, making a total of 4 small packets.  Bake in preheated oven until tender, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from foil; set aside to cool until able to handle, about 15 minutes. Leave the oven on.

Hold potatoes lengthwise, and slice off the top quarter of each potato.  Use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of each potato and place it into a medium microwave-safe bowl, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick potato shell.

Add butter to potato in a bowl; mash well with a fork.  Stir in sour cream and the minced white portions of the green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place potato shells on a small baking sheet and return to the oven while you finish preparing the filling.

Cut 8 small strips of salmon for the garnish, dice the remaining salmon, and set them aside, separately.

Microwave the filling for a minute or two until heated through.  Stir diced smoked salmon into the filling; taste and season again with pepper, if needed. Remove potatoes from the oven and mound filling into shells.  Place on a serving tray.

Sprinkle with minced green portions of green onions. Arrange a salmon strip atop each potato and serve immediately.

Makes 8