Baby Red Potatoes with Caviar

Time: 45 minutes to prep and cook; 15 minutes to assemble after cooled

Serves: 40 “bites”

Inspired by: This recipe is from Hugh Carpenter’s “Fast Appetizers” cookbook. I was looking for a fun finger food with caviar for New Years Eve. I added a tiny bit of sour cream to these, but I think they’d be great either way.

Ingredients:

• 20 baby red potatoes
• 2 tablespoons flavorless cooking oil (I used a light olive oil)
• 2 ounces fresh caviar, good to best quality
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives (no chives at the market today so I am using chopped spring onion)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
• Cut the potatoes in half and slice off a very small sliver on the rounded side so they don’t wobble around on the cookie sheet
• Rub the potatoes with the oil and place on cookie sheet
• Roast until they feel tender when prodded with a fork – about 30 minutes.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Cut a small scoop/hole in the top of each potato. Fill with caviar and sprinkle with chives. If you are using sour cream, later in just a dab of it before the caviar and chives.
• Refrigerate.

Notes: This can be completed up to 8 hours before serving if you are not using the sour cream. If you are, it can get a little watery so wait and assemble close to serving. Serve chilled.

Wine Suggestions: Caviar and Champagne are always a fun pairing – their complimentary textures are perfect and the high acidity of the champagne is perfect with the brininess of the caviar. Of course any other dry, crisp high-acid white wine would be excellent as well such as a Chablis or other unoaked White Burgundy.