Chopped liver, kugel, gefilte fish — all staples at a Passover dinner and no table is complete without them. There’s someone in the family who must have one or all of them, harkening back to days long ago when our ancestors celebrated Passover in very traditional ways. But how often do plates come back into the kitchen with uneaten gefilte fish, kugels and liver? Too often for the work involved for the chef!
That’s why I’ve decided to create an assortment of make-ahead nibbles and bites for my Passover celebration with family and friends. Today, I made these potato kugel nests and froze them only to be reheated and filled later with sour cream, smoked salmon and chives. I hope this will whet all appetites for a festive and scrumptious meal that lies ahead. And by the way, there’s nothing about these which make them only suitable for Passover. There’s no matzah meal in them and they’d make an elegant hors d’oeuvre at any party.
What are your favorite appetizers? I’d love to know!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 36 pieces | 40 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 25 minutes | 10 minutes |
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These one bite treats are a cross between a potato latke and a potato kugel. Serve them as an elegant starter to whet the appetite before the Passover seder. Topped with smoked salmon, sour cream and chives, these might just become a new favorite that can be served at any dinner party.
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- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 2 cups Russet potatoes peeled and shredded
- 2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and shredded
- 1 whole yellow onion chopped finely
- 2 eggs whole lightly beaten
- 4 tsp potato starch from the bottom of the soaked potatoes
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 ounces smoked salmon Norwegian style
- Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Using a food processor, grate the potatoes and then soak in water in a large bowl.
- Let the potatoes soak for about ten minutes while you grate the onion and beat the eggs.
- Remove the potatoes with your hands, squeezing out the excess liquid into the bowl in which they soaked. You will want to keep the starch which will form on the bottom of the bowl.
- Place the potatoes, onions and egg into a large bowl and season with salt. Mix well with your hands.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom and sides of enough mini muffin pans to make 36 kugel bites.
- Spoon a tablespoon of potato mixture, squeezing out the excess liquid, into each mini muffin pressing the mixture down towards the bottom and up on the sides.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for about20 - 25 minutes until the edges are golden. Check on them and turn the pans once during cooking.
- Place under the broiler for a final two minutes to get the centers a bit more set.
- Remove pans from oven and then cool until ready to handle. If freezing, lay on a foil lined baking sheet and freeze uncovered for a few hours and then transfer to an airtight container. To reheat, place frozen potato shells in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees for ten minutes.
- Using a small spoon or sandwich bag with a small cut in one corner, pipe a bit of sour cream into the nest and place a teaspoon of smoked salmon on top with some fresh chives. Enjoy!
The kugel bites with smoked salmon look beyond amazing!!! I wish I could have one this second!
An appetizer I recommend is white fish pate served on little toasties. Pretty addictive!