Monday, December 24, 2012

Sour Cream Nugget Potatoes

These tidbits are delicious and quick to make - especially if you involve your guests in the job! The quantities depend on the number of guests and the number of different appetizers you offer, but I suspect you’ll find each guest probably nibbles three half-nuggets. These are great for an “appys only” party, but because they’re so filling, I wouldn’t serve them before dinner. Caviar dusts the original version of these super little nuggets. I’d love that, but I just happened to be all out of caviar at the moment (!), so I settled for what was on hand. To make a hot version of these, stuff the hollowed-out potatoes with anything you might use to stuff a mushroom. Don’t waste the interior of the hollowed-out nuggets! Use them in soup or mashed potatoes.


Sour Cream Nugget Potatoes:


Nugget potatoes, as needed

Dairy sour cream, as needed

Capers, as needed

Anchovies, as needed


Rinse and scrub nuggets. Do not peel. Bring to a boil in just enough cold, salted water to cover. Cook about 15 min., or until tender but not bursting their casings. Immediately plunge into ice water bath until thoroughly chilled. Optional: Refrigerate, covered, for up to three days to ensure potatoes are firm but tender. Blot dry, cutting each nugget in half. 


Now put your guests to work in a corner of the kitchen: Slip a grapefruit knife ¼-in. from edge of each chilled nugget, easing potato from its casing. Fill each nugget with about 2 tsp. sour cream, dusting with well-drained capers and drained, chopped anchovies, blotted dry.


Note: Nugget potatoes’ rounded shape means they don't stand straight and perky as other appetizers do. Solve this problem easily by placing each cut half into a candy paper. Dollar stores sell seasonally festive papers that look terrific on an appy tray! Happy holidays, Dollinks!



Use grapefruit knife to hollow out cold, cooked potato

Continue hollowing out potato to 1/4-in. from peel

Top chilled potato with sour cream

Top with well-drained capers and a bit of anchovy.
If your ship's come in ... try caviar!

2 comments:

  1. I make these using the small end of a melon- baller to scoop out the insides. I have, on occasion stuffed them with a small square of smoked salmon, a wee dollop of sour cream and a tiny sprig of dill.

    ReplyDelete

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