Makes 20 hors d’oeuvres

Total time: 1 1/2 hours || Active time: 20 minutes

I know. Adorable, right?

A tender roasted potato with a creamy, eggy filling. Sprinkled with a little paprika and a sprig of dill, they taste as irresistible as they look.

My first meeting with deviled potatoes was when my friend Lauren made them for an Omaha potluck. And of course I came to expect an inviting trayful at all subsequent potlucks. But then Lauren moved away and I was stuck staring at a tray of…nothing. Only my own tears.

The recipe she used (and I think most people use this one) is from VegWeb, called Potato Angels. Awww!

I wanted to make a version that would be perfect for Passover or Easter. Pop them into one of those vintage egg trays and impress everyone.

Happy first day of Spring, everyone!

Notes

~A little black salt, called kala namak, is used for the eggy flavor, but you can use regular old salt, too. Just reduce the amount to 3/4 teaspoon. But kala namak is a really fun ingredient, and great in tofu egg salads, or vegan omelets, so pick some up at a specialty shop or order it for good times.

~I actually didn’t have a vintage egg tray, so I cut off just a tiny sliver of potato at the bottom, to prevent wobbling. But a little wobble isn’t going to hurt anyone.

~Try to find egg-shaped yukon gold potatoes that are all as close in size as possible. As you can see from the pic, they aren’t going to be totally perfect, but that adds to the cuteness.

~Use a jar of ground black pepper instead of fresh ground black pepper. I dunno, it just kind of adds to the authenticity!

~If you don’t have a pastry tip you can slice off the corner of a plastic bag with a 1/2 inch slit and pipe the filling in that way. Alternatively, you can use a rounded tablespoon to scoop it in. But get a pastry bag and pastry tip (I used Wilton 4B), it’s fun!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs small thin-skinned potatoes, like yukon gold (about 10)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours

3/4 cup vegetable broth (or water)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kala manak black salt (or 3/4 teaspoon regular salt)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

A big pinch black pepper

For garnish:

Sweet paprika

Fresh dill

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Slice potatoes across the waist and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Rub potatoes to coat, and place cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

In the meantime, drain the cashews and place them in the blender with vegetable broth and turmeric. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could 1 to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your blender.

When potatoes are tender, remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, but still hot, scoop the centers out with a melon baller or rounded teaspoon, leaving about 1/4 inch lining of potato inside.

Place the scooped out potato into a mixing bowl and mash until smooth. It’s important that they’re still warm so that they mash well. Add the cashew cream mixture, salt, lemon juice and black pepper, and continue to mash until well incorporated. Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes so that the mixture stiffens up.

Once cool, scoop into pastry bag fit with a medium sized serrated tip (I use Wilton 4B) and fill potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika and top with a little sprig of thyme. Keep chilled until ready to serve! These taste best at room temp, I think. Enjoy!