Today I bring you brunch. Now, if you’re reading this hot off the presses, you know it’s not exactly an acceptable brunch hour in my time zone. But the thing about Sunday brunch is it happens once a week. And it can happen almost daily when you’re on vacation. So really there’s never a bad time to start planning your next brunch. And I would like to put forward these Smoked Salmon Home Fries as a contender. It has all the hallmarks of a great brunch. Eggs, carbs, and premium protein with a side of cream cheese. What more could you ask for?
The concept behind this dish is bagel and lox with everything except the bagel. In place of the bagel, we have another beloved carb – potatoes. Now, I do have a confession to make – these are technically not home fries. In order for them to be home fries, they need to be done up in a skillet or on a flat top. I did neither. These spuds saw the inside of an oven. I know, shock horror. I used the same method I used to make my Shawarma Home Fries. Why? Because it really does result in the crispiest fries. I can’t take credit for this method. I learned it from Serious Eats but I can make liberal use of it and I do and so can you.
Another benefit of doing home fries in the oven, aside from the superior crispiness, is it leaves the stovetop clear, which is a very good thing if you’re planning on cooking eggs or adding bacon to your brunch experience. You can also do bacon in the oven, and it very happily cooks at the same temperature as the potatoes but that’s a story for another day. Today is about these Smoked Salmon Home Fries, so let’s break this dish down, shall we?
Now, as we discussed the base of this dish is super crispy home fries. You boil them first in water, salt, and baking soda solution. The baking soda helps them break down faster, so when your home fries are done, they have an almost mashed-potato-like interior. It’s definitely worth the extra step. From there you drain the potatoes and toss them with oil and a little more salt and don’t be gentle. Roughed-up potatoes form delightfully crispy craggy bits when roasted, which is exactly what we’re going to do with these spuds. Roast the potatoes for 35 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. I will admit these are not the quickest potatoes but they are the best.
The potatoes are then sprinkled with everything bagel spice and topped with smoked salmon, a hard-boiled egg, red onion, and scallions. All simple and straightforward. And on the side, there is a cream cheese dipping sauce, which is a combination of yogurt, garlic, chives, and of course, cream cheese. You can make this dipping sauce ahead of time but make sure you take it out of the fridge 15-30 minutes prior to serving, so it’s good and creamy and dippable.
Now, it may have dawned on you that this recipe is gluten-free. It is! File this recipe under accidentally gluten-free. Every now and then I do this. I make a recipe and realize it suits one of my closest friend’s dietary restrictions. These Smoked Salmon Home Fries for instance are perfect for my friend Amanda, who is gluten-free and pescatarian. And once it dawned on me that I had made a gluten-free, pescatarian-friendly brunch option I realized there probably aren’t that many out there. Brunch, at least North American brunch, is very bready and meaty. Waffles, pancakes, bacon, and toast, I would imagine a brunch menu is a bit of a minefield for gluten-free, non-meat-eating folks. If you are gluten-free and/or pescatarian, let me know how you get on with most brunch menus.
So that’s everything you need to know about these Smoked Salmon Home Fries. Sunday brunch may have come and gone this week but there’s always next week. Plus, this dish has serious brinner energy.
Enjoy!
Smoked Salmon Home Fries with Everything Bagel Spice
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- 1 Large baking sheet
- 1 small saucepan
- 1 handmixer optional
Ingredients
Home Fries
- 800g (1.7 lbs) assorted baby potaoes quartered
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp everything bagel spice mix storebought or homemade
Cream Cheese and Chive Dipping Sauce
- 70g (2.5 oz) cream cheese softened
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt heaping
- 2 tbsp chives finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Toppings
- 75g (2.5oz) smoked salmon
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 1 scallion thinly sliced
- 2 hard-boiled eggs halved
- 1 tbsp capers
Instructions
For the Fries
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, stir in the salt and baking soda. Boil the potatoes for 7-10 minutes or until fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Toss to coat.
- Place the potatoes on the large baking sheet. Make sure they are evenly spaced with a cut side facing down. Transfer the potatoes to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip the potatoes and roast for an additional 15.
- Divide the potatoes between two bowls and sprinkle with the everything bagel spice. Set aside until ready to serve.
For the Dip
- While the potatoes are roasting place the cream cheese, yogurt, chives, garlic, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Using a wooden spoon or a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese and yogurt together until silky. Transfer the mixture to a smaller bowl and set it aside until ready to serve. **
To Assemble
- Top the potatoes with smoked salmon, red onion and scallion slices, hard-boiled eggs, and capers. Serve immediately with a small bowl of the cream cheese dip on the side.
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