With store-bought potato chips and smoked salmon, and a three-ingredient, stir-together sauce, this is one of the easiest appetizers ever. And yet it’s unexpectedly sophisticated, worthy of a cocktail party or as a starter before an elegant dinner. What makes it so special is the great contrast of flavors and textures, from the crunchy chips to the creamy sauce to the velvety smoked salmon.
Because there are so few ingredients in this dish, quality matters. To start with, seek out thick-cut, home-style chips. Smoked salmon usually sits on a crostini or sturdy cracker, and would be too heavy for a thin mass-market chip to support. My local market sells store-made chips in brown paper bags near the deli – thick, hearty slices that really hold their own. Kettle-cooked chips would be an OK substitute.
Next is the salmon. With my Scottish ancestry, I’m partial to Scottish salmon, but Norwegian is fine, too. Just make sure you get soft, moist, cold-smoked salmon, not the drier, flakier, hot-smoked type.
Last is the mustard. There are lots of fancy mustards out there and if you have a favorite, by all means use it. I use Grey Poupon Country Dijon course ground mustard, which has a fair amount of zip to it. It’s got more texture than a basic Dijon, but not as much as a whole grain mustard. Just be sure that whatever mustard you choose is spicy enough to make the sauce dance on your tongue, so it stands up to the saltiness of the chips and salmon.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- The sauce will keep for at least 5 days, so you can make it ahead and/or keep leftovers within that time frame.
- The appetizers themselves should be assembled at the last minute or else the toppings will cause the potato chips to get soggy. Ideally, put out a platter with all the ingredients and let everyone assemble their own, one at a time. If you’re assembling them all at once to serve on a tray, don’t do it more than 30 minutes ahead.
- If you end up with more sauce than you need for the appetizer, leftovers are great as a sandwich spread in place of mayo or mustard – try it with ham, turkey, or roast beef.
To see this recipe combined with others in a special dinner menu, read the post for Saturday February 15, 2020.
Smoked Salmon on Potato Chips
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sour cream or crème fraiche
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1½ tablespoons course ground country Dijon mustard
- 6 ounces smoked salmon
- 16 thick, large, flat potato chips
Directions
- Step 1 Stir the sour cream, mayonnaise and mustard together and transfer the sauce to a small serving bowl.
- Step 2 Cut the smoked salmon into 16 pieces. Each piece should be about the size of a potato chip, give or take.
- Step 3 Arrange the smoked salmon and potato chips on a serving platter with the bowl of sauce. To assemble, spread a potato chip with a generous dollop of the sauce, then drape a piece of smoked salmon across the top, folding it over to fit if needed.
- Step 4 Or, assemble all of the hors d’oeuvres at once and arrange them on a platter for a buffet or for passing.
