Everything-Bagel Salmon Potato Nests

Ingredients

Potato baskets

• 2 lb russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, divided
• 1 tbsp everything-bagel seasoning, divided

Lemon-dill cream

• 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped dill
• ⅛ tsp fine salt

Cucumber and assembly

• ½ cup finely diced cucumber
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• ⅛ tsp fine salt
• 8 oz (225 g) ready-to-eat smoked salmon, cut into 12 ribbons
• 1 tbsp drained capers

Equipment

Standard 12-cup muffin tin, box grater, clean towel, mixing bowls, instant-read thermometer

Allergens and ingredient notes: Fish, milk, egg, sesame; seasoning may contain additional allergens. Check smoked salmon and seasoning labels.

Step by step

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Brush muffin wells with 1 tbsp of the melted butter. Squeeze grated potatoes firmly in a clean towel until very dry. Mix potatoes with egg whites, cornstarch, remaining 1 tbsp butter, and 1 tsp of the everything seasoning; reserve the remaining 2 tsp seasoning for serving.
2. Divide among twelve muffin wells and press firmly over the bases and up the sides to form baskets. Keep the base about ¼ inch thick with no holes. Bake 30–40 minutes until deeply golden, tender inside, and the egg-white binder is fully set. If edges brown too fast, tent loosely with foil. Cool in the tin 10 minutes, then loosen carefully.
3. While baskets bake, combine cucumber, vinegar, sugar, and cucumber salt. Rest 15 minutes, then drain thoroughly and discard the pickling liquid. Mix cream cheese, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and its separate salt until smooth; refrigerate until assembly.
4. Let baskets cool until just warm, not hot. Divide lemon-dill cream among them, about 1½ tbsp each, then add one smoked salmon ribbon to each. Divide drained cucumber and capers over the nests and finish with all reserved everything seasoning.
5. Serve immediately. Use packaged ready-to-eat smoked salmon, keeping it refrigerated until assembly; no raw fish preparation is required. The seasoning supplies the bagel-style flavor—the edible basket is potato.

The Devotti twist: The bagel becomes a crisp potato basket, with cool tangy cream and smoked salmon against the warm shredded edges.

Make ahead and storage

Keep salmon, cream, and cucumber refrigerated according to their labels and use assembled nests immediately. Refrigerate unfilled baskets within 2 hours up to 2 days; reheat to 165°F (74°C), cool until warm, and add cold toppings. Never leave assembled nests out longer than 2 hours.